Rebels and Bloody Roses
by XxcrimsonxgothicxtidexX
Summary: Kuro Kei is the new badgirl at Cross academy. what happens when she finds out about the Night class? what happens when she meets Yuuki and Zero? what happens when Zero falls for her? what happens when her past comes back for her? ZeroKei
1. The Reason Why

**Hi to everyone on fanfiction, Crimson here! im here with a new story... okay and not to cause a community wide panic i am not REPEAT_ Am Not_ quitting on Titanic -SasuSaku style-! so just so ill save my self explinations later im doing this story and the SasuSaku one as well so neither one is getting cut. so no worries. anyways this enjoy the story!**

**Disclaimer- I don't own _Vampire Knight_. Though i do own Kei, Kusan and any other characters never mentioned in VK.**

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**Chapter 1- The Reason Why**

**Kei's POV**

"You know... you only brought this open yourself, Kei," said Headmaster Night as he looked at Kei through the rearview of his midnight black Nissan Murano.

"What fuckin' ever." Kei muttered under her breath. She looked through the window to see Cross Academy looming out of the darkness. _And here begins the new life of the infamous, Kuro Kei,_ she though disdainfully, _if it wasn't for that ass hole Tama I would never have gotten caught._

**Flashback**

_"Everybody, on the ground NOW!!!" boomed the voice from down in the basement in the old abandoned warehouse._

_"Oh shit!" exclaimed Tama after he unglued himself from his and Kei's make- out. He got up from the bed from where they had been making- out and ran over to the window of the attic of the warehouse. _

_"How the hell did the cops find the party?!" Kei exclaimed. _

_"How the fuck should I know?!" Tama grabbed her arm and they ran up to the roof. _

_"Tama, they're gonna see us from up here."_

_"No, Kei- chan," he said, "They're gonna see you from up here."_

_"What the hell are you-" Tama shoved Kei from out of where they were hiding and she landed at the feet of one of the cops that had been patrolling the roof. _

_"Sergeant," called the cop, "looks like we have one more." _

Shit_, Kei thought, _that's all that I need know!

_"Well, well," said Sergeant Daisuke, "If it isn't the young, infamous Kuro Kei. Tell me, Kei, how long has it been since I last reported you to Headmaster Night?" _

_Kei didn't say anything._

_"This time, I was seriously asking you, Kuro, how long has it been?"_

_Kei bit her tongue in order so she wouldn't start yelling random cuss words and to try to keep her anger at bay._

_"Three days, Daisuke." Kei spat bitterly._

_"Wait till he hears about this one." said Daisuke_

_**The next day**_

_"Don't you give a damn about anything, Kei?" asked Headmaster Night. Daisuke had told him everything last night and, as always, Kei had no voice in what happened. "Clearly you don't since you are always getting in trouble despite all the chances you've been given to make things right. Yet all you do is-"_

_"Headmaster, can we please just fast forward through your usual lecture about me being too wild and untamable and just get on with the usual punishments." Kei said in an irritated voice. The Headmaster sighed and rubbed his temples._

_"God give me strength!" he said to the ceiling. "Kei, you know what?"_

_"Hn." _

_"The usual punishment isn't enough anymore."_

_"So no punishment for once, Night?"_

_"On the contrary, you're going on a vacation."_

_"A vacation? Uh... Headmaster... are you all yourself or is this the sake talking?" Kei asked suspiciously._

"_Of course I'm serious and no, it's not the sake talking."_

_"Oh, so you are on sake." said Kei sarcastically. The Headmaster began to loosen his tie. _

Okay, he's officially pissed, _though Kei._

_"Anyway, so where's the vacation spot?"_

_"You're to transfer," _Transfer?!_ thought Kei, "To Cross Academy."_

_"Wha?!?!" _

_"Cross Academy. Under the watchful eye of my cousin, Headmaster Cross."_

_"Wait, let me get this straight... I'm going to transfer schools as punishment." _

_Night nodded._

_"And it's like three counties away." He nodded_

_"And it's run by your cousin, Cross."_

_"That about sums it up." said Night._

_"So, technically, I'll still be under the "watchful eye" of another member of the Japanese Academy Society." He nodded._

_Kei crossed her arms on the desk and put her head in her arms._

_"You know the usual punishments would have worked just as well."_

_"Clearly they, don't Kei." _

I'm not taking this lying down, _thought Kei bitterly. She pulled her head back up and looked at the Headmaster in the eyes. Amethyst met green._

_"No matter what you do, I won't change." her amethyst eyes hardened as her anger grew._

_"Kei, if you don't try to change do you know what's gonna happen to you?" _

_Kei's eyes narrowed further is she heard his words._

_"You will be sent to a correctional facility for young women, juvi, and or jail if you don't get it together by your 16th birthday." Kei didn't say anything for a few minutes. She looked away and said,_

_"... when are we leaving for Cross Academy?" Night smiled. _We're finally getting somewhere, Kei.

_"We're leaving at noon, so you should start packing now."_

_"Hn."_

_Kei got up from the chair and made her way towards the door._

_"Oh, and, Kei," she turned back to look at Night, "This is your last chance, so, please, don't screw this up." she turned back and walked out._

Like I give a damn.

**End of flashback**

"...Kei...Kei...KEI!!!"

"Fuckin' what?!" Kei exclaimed.

"I've been calling you for over 10 minutes, that's what." said Headmaster Night.

"What?"

"We're here." Kei looked out of the window and sure enough, they were on Cross Academy grounds. Kei unlocked the door and kicked it open.

"Do you mind not killing my car, Kuro?"

"Hn."

He shook his head, "Oh look, here comes my cousin, Headmaster Cross."

Kei looked at the man sprinting towards them.

_He dressed really ridiculous for a headmaster of a "_prestigious_" school,_ thought Kei.

"You're finally here!" exclaimed Headmaster Cross. Up close he looked even more of a spectacle. He wore a powder red suit, black shirt on the inside and around his neck either it was extremely old shoulder fur or it was a brown weasel. Either way it still sickened Kei.

"Welcome, cousin!" exclaimed Cross.

"It's good to see you again." said Night. They hugged and after conversing for what seemed two hours, they finally turned their attention towards Kei.

"So this must be Kuro Kei," said the headmaster, "For someone as beautiful as her, I find it hard to believe that she has such a record."

Kuro Kei was about 5' 6". She had amethyst eyes, silver hair, that was in a high pony tail that reached the small of her back. Her silver bangs flopped gracefully in her face giving her a mysterious, yet elegantly dark look. She pushed back one of her bangs behind her ear. A silver cuff on the top part of her left ear and one small silver hoop hung from her earlobe and next to it was a diamond stud. On her right ear she had two fang like earrings jutting out of her earlobe. She was thin, but the usual. She had long legs built for endurance. She wore an off-the-shoulder black top which was ripped at the bottom where the hem should have been. She wore black sleeves that went from the crock of her arms to her wrists. She had on dark, denim jeans. She had on black and while puma classics style. Cross extended his hand for her to shake. Kei thought the least she could do was shake it. On her left hand revealed a leaf ring that wrapped all the way up her mid bone. On her thumb a silver band. On her right hand she had a silver band on her thumb and she wore a silver with Japanese scripture engraved on it.

"That's an interesting ring," Kei snatched back her hand, "What does it say on it?"

"The kanji's mean 'eternal life' and the ones next to them mean 'hunter's moon'." said Kei simply.

_Hunter's moon? _thought Cross.

"Headmaster Night, do you have a bottle of water?"

"In the trunk."

Kei went over to the trunk and pulled out the bottle of water from the cooler Night always lugged around with him. From her pocket, she pulled out a miniature, little, paper envelope.

"Man, I hate taking these... but I have no other choice. Until _that_ day comes I'll have no other choice." Kei opened the envelope and swallowed the contents after taking a deep drink of water.

**Cross's POV**

"Kusan?"

"What is it, cousin?"

"What's that, that Kei's taking?"

"That's her allergy medicine. Over the years, she's been having attacks and I figured it was something to do with an allergic reaction.

"What happens to her?" asked Cross, his gaze never leaving said girl.

"She becomes extremely dehydrated and she's really out of breath like she's been running ten miles none stop. And a lot of waves of physical pain."

"So did the doctor prescribe those tablets to her?"

"No. She actually always had them. She kept them in a jar in her room labeled: **"For Emergencies ONLY."** I saw them when her first attack happened."

Cross walked over to Kei after she finished off the bottle of water.

"The tablets taste that bad, huh?" Kei looked up at him.

"Yeah. I mean... most medicines for allergic reaction do."

Kei walked away to where Night was, carrying her two luggage bags with her. Cross picked up the little paper envelope and it read:

**BLIXXXV06E.** "That's a serial number... of a... blood tablet!" Cross said to himself slowly backing away and his back hit Night's car. He looked over at Kei. "Could this girl honestly be... a vampire?!"

* * *

**cliff hanger... until the next chapter that is. anyways love it, hate it? id like to know what everyone thinks about it**

**_so unfolds the new lif of Kuro Kei!_**

**Kei: well thats really dramatic**

**Crimson: i know. oh, by the ay later on i invited Zero and Yuuki to come join our little reviewer's corner thing. would you mind?**

**Kei: hn**

**Crimson: okay then**

**Inner Crimson: _how did you even understand that?_**

**Crimson: hello, i've dealt with Uchiha Sasuke before, havent i?**

**Inner Crimson:_ right_**

**Kei: anyways review**


	2. Not Ink but Blood

**hello Cleveland!!!!!! lol sorry i just had the great urge to do that -anime sweat drop- anyways yea i know i havent updated FOREVER but thing is since i wasn't gettin much results on this i wasn't gonna do much or in the end i was gonna scrub the whole thing but lately ive gotten a lot more feedback on this story and also, im not givin up no matter what! and its been hard to also update this story since ive also been working on my other story **_**Titanic -SasuSaku style-**_** but im back and better than ever! anyways enough rambling on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ****Vampire Knight**

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**Not Ink but Blood**

**Last time: **_**Cross looked over at Kei "Could this girl honestly be... a vampire?!"**_

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Cross just stared in awe at the girl speaking to his cousin.

_A case like her... how did Kusan ever not notice, _thought Cross, _he was a vampire hunter back in his prime. He should have been able to tell by a signature aura vampires give off. I might be over reacting... I mean I have no concrete proof that she is one._

**Kei's POV**

Cross walked up to Kei and Night. "Let's get inside so we can fill out the forms." said Cross his gaze never leaving Kei. Kei raised an eyebrow.

_I wonder what problem is?_ she thought. The three of them passed through the gates and walked on to Cross Academy campus. Out on the courtyard where students dressed in almost full white.

_Man are these guys hott,_ thought Kei.

"This is the Night Class," said Cross," This school is divided into two groups. the Day Class, which are currently asleep, except for our two member of the Disciplinary Committee. The Day Class sleeps over there in the Sun Dorm, while the Night Class rests in the Moon dorm over their." Kei didn't pay attention to the rest of Headmaster Cross's speech she looked around the campus over the sea of girls and guys dressed in white.

_Why would they separate the school?_ thought Kei. She looked around, and suddenly, her heart skipped a beat at what her amethyst eyes had just laid eyes on.

"No." she whispered in shock. Kei looked back over the table where two guys sat. They both had spiky blonde hair. The blonde was more neatly dressed than his cousin, who was dressed hott enough to make a girl die of loss of drool. Even thought they where both in school uniforms.

_Aido Hanabasu and Kain Akatsuki,_ thought Kei while cracking her knuckles, _what the hell are they doing here? _She looked around and then she understood.

_So I am right._

"Kei!" She turned around to look at Night and Cross. "Will you please stop spacing out. C'mon we're going to the Headmaster's office." Kei just simply nodded. She followed Night and Cross.

**Kaname's POV**

"Kaname- sama," said Ruka, "looks like Headmaster Cross has enrolled another student."

"So it seems, Ruka." said Kaname turning a page from his book.

"She really looks the part."

"She does."

"And?"

"Ruka, what ever she comes out with will decided if she'll be by the Sun or the Moon." Kaname put a hand on her shoulder and he walked away.

**Cross's POV**

_Cross's office looks a lot like Night's... I guess bland decorating must run in his family_, thought Kei.

The walls were white. There were bookcases everywhere. Most of the titles where in other languages, besides Japanese and English. There were two giant globes on either side of the desk. On the walls hung over fifty different flags from over fifty different countries. But thing that caught Kei's attention was a bookcase with nothing, but vampire books and a few cases of different style fangs and a faux skull with over sized canines. On the Headmaster's desk was a book of different types of roses titled "Calling Cards".

"You must be into vampires, ne?" said Kei not taking her eyes of the book. Cross looked over at her after ceasing his conversation with Night. "It's been sorta of a hobby." he said with a small smile.

"Hn. Must come in handy," she turned around to face Cross, "... when you run a school for vampires."

Cross's eyes widened. _How could she have figured it out?!_ he panicked.

"My dear girl, now how do you figure that?"

Kei cleared her throat.

_Oh, God,_ thought Night, _we're in for a long speech._

"The facts are so obvious. I'm actually appalled that I find them funny. For starters, why would anyone force their students to be up all night learning instead of resting. Separate dorms and are named after the Sun and the Moon... you have admit that it is, somewhat, of a dead give away. And why would a Disciplinary Committee be placed and carry weapons with them? Unless if they were guarding the Day Class students from the pureblood and aristocrats. And finally I had been reading the Cross Academy rule books. Yeah and let me confirm from the shocked look on your face, Cross, that yes, I also read the Night Class's version too. That it is illegal to drink blood on campus, that they must sustain themselves only on blood tablets. And finally, your Night class students don't look like vampires, much, but them being elite and extremely beautiful does count for something. No, but when I saw Aido Hanabasu and Kain Akatsuki here, everything became painfully clear and my thoughts confirmed."

Night and Cross just stood there with their mouths, slightly, hanging open.

"My, God!" breathed Night.

"Well with that vivid explanation that you have just given me... I can't, really, deny you the truth, Kei- san," Kei raised an eyebrow at the suffix that was added to her name, "You are correct. The Night Class are vampires. One thing I must know..."

"What?" Kei asked a bit annoyed.

"How do you know Aido and Kain?"

Kei smirked, "I had a run in with those two leeches a couple years back. So it's not hard to forget."

Cross opened his mouth to speak, but he closed it. Thinking he'd regret asking Kei what actually happened between the three of them. "Anyway's, while Kusan and I fill out the forms, Yuki can take you to your room."

There was a knock on the door. In stepped a girl about 15, brown hair and brown eyes.

_She's kinda short to be in high school,_ thought Kei.

"You sent for me, Headmaster?" asked Yuki.

"Yes. I'd like you to escort this young lady to her room." Yuki gave a small bow.

**Kei and Yuki's POV**

Kei followed Yuki to the Sun Dorm. they were quiet the whole way as they walked inside the dorm. Yuki couldn't stand the uncomfortable silence much longer and decided to break it,

"I'm Cross Yuki." she said a little rushed from her nervousness.

Kei stopped walking and looked at her. She extended her hand for Yuki to shake. Yuki took the gesture in surprise, but she shook her hand anyway.

"Kuro Kei." The air around them didn't feel as suffocating after their introduction.

"How do you like Cross Academy so far?" asked Yuki.

"Well, it's really different then Vera Academy, I can tell you that much." said Kei.

"For example? If you don't me asking."

_This girl is really interested, _thought Kei,_ well it's like Gin always said, "You need allies wherever you are". And I guess the Headmaster's adopted daughter is the best shot I got._

"Well for one thing, the uniforms are a hell of a lot better," she looked at Yuki, "I thought everyone wore the same uniform here."

Yuki looked down at her uniform. _She must have seen the Night Class, _she thought. "No. The Day Class wears the black uniform and the Night Class uses the white ones."

"How do you know whether you're in the Night Class or Day Class?" asked Kei trying to wrench the truth out of Yuki. Yuki sweat dropped. _Got to think of something!_ she panicked.

"It's based on the Headmaster's decision to who can stand the nocturnal daytime schedule. That a specialized exam."

"So, what? It's not like the Night Class are _vampires_ or something, right?"

"No!"

Kei raised an eyebrow.

"I mean... of course not." she said with a nervous giggle and a slight smile. They got to Kei's room.

"If you need anything just ask for me or Kiryu Zero."

"Okay then," Yuki turned to leave, "Yuki."

"What?"

"Arigatou."

Yuki smiled and left.

Kei flopped on the her bed. _Well, at least I don't have to share a room,_ she thought. She turned on her side.

_Kiryu... why does that name seem so familiar?_

**Outside**

_Yawn!_ "Tired, Yuki?" asked Kiryu Zero. She rubbed her eyes and looked over at Zero.

"A little." Yuki felt Zero stiffen.

"What is it, Zero?"

"Someone's out here. Someone that shouldn't be." Yuki went over and stood next to Zero. Someone was sprinting towards the from gate where a car's headlights shown. Four separate voices could be heard.

"We better get down there." said Zero.

"Right." Yuki nodded.

**Kei's POV**

**Flashback**

Kiryu... why does that name sound so familiar?_ Kei's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her cell phone. "Hero's Come Back" was her ring tone. It drove the teachers nuts back at Vera Academy when they, all of the sudden, heard the Japanese rap blast. Students were allowed to keep cell phones, but only on vibrate and they had to step out of the class room to answer. But Kei, being Kei, she never bothered putting it on vibrate, and plain and simple she didn't really care. Kei smirked at the memory. She flipped open her phone, quickly dispersing the recollection of her previous life._

_"Kuro Kei." she said into the phone._

"What has silver hair and amethyst eyes and is going to screech in surprise?"_ said a deep voice on the other line._

What the- oh, _thought Kei with an evil grin. _

_"Hm, possibly your mother when she saw that she gave birth to a gaytard like you." she said casually._

"WHAT THE HELL?!?!?!??!?!?!"

_"That time of the month for you... Seito Darien!"_

"It's impossible to fool you, ne, Kei- chan?"

_"Well... you suck at it."_

"So I called my best friend, who's almost like a little sister to me and I just wanted to know whether she was alive or not, but instead I get insulted." _Darien began to 'sob' on the other line._

_"Oh, shut up you pansy ass," said Kei rolling her eyes, "I'm okay, and alive. So what's the surprise?"_

"Why don't you go look outside, Kei- chan."

_"Fine." she pushed back the red curtains from her window and gave a blood- curdling screech. Outside was Seito Darien waving to her and also her two other best friends, Midnight Gin and Uchiwa Tora._

_"Oh my effin' God!!"_

"So what has silver hair, amethyst eyes and screeched at the sight of her surprise?" _said Midnight Gin over Darien's cell phone._

_Kei laughed, "What the hell are you guys doing here?"_

"Come out and we'll explain." _said Tora. Kei dropped her phone on the bed, pulled on her black, leather jacket and ran outside._

**End of flashback**

_For God's sake don't they know they can get kicked out of Vera for being here?_ thought Kei as she ran to the front gate. When Kei got to the gates, screams, cries and whoops of joy were heard from the from the four teenagers.

"Kei it's effin awesome to see you!" exclaimed Tora.

"I only left this afternoon." said Kei after she finished hugging Gin.

"Yeah, it feels like an eternity without you." said Darien leaning on the hood of his crimson Porshe Carrera GT.

"Damn, Darien! Is that her?" asked Kei in total shock as she laid her eyes on Darien's new car. He smiled devilishly at her.

"Yeah. I'd let you drive it, but you could get your common filth on it." Kei gave him a playful shove.

"So what's it like here at Cross Academy?" asked Gin.

Kei shrugged, "I can't shake the feeling that this place might be more home that Vera. It's like I belong here more than I ever did back in Vera."

"That kinda weird since you, basically, grew up in Vera Academy since you were 11. It's been four years since-" Gin was interrupted by a stern voice from the gates.

"What's going on?" Kei, Gin, Tora and Darien turned around and saw Yuki and Zero.

"And who might you two be?" asked Darien.

"Cross Yuki and Kiryu Zero." said Zero flatly.

"Oh, so, you're Zero," said Kei Then it hit her, "Wait... you're the son of Kiryu of the strongest vampire hunting clan that ever existed! Your clan even out ranked my own!"

Zero stared at Kei, "You're that transfer student, Kuro Kei, aren't you?"

"Hn."

"Your clan was also vampire hunting clan."

"They were?" asked Yuki.

Gin nodded.

"I did hear, once, that the Kuro and Kiryu clan were allies during the Vampire and Vampire Hunter wars. But, then again, Tor, Darien and I have already forgiven both of your families."

Zero's eyes narrowed, "Look, you three need to get out of here before the Headmaster finds you here, or I'll deal with this myself." Zero began to pull out the Bloody Rose gun.

Gin almost bared her fangs, but Kei held her back and shook her head. Yuki took hold of Zero's arm, he looked at her, she shook her head, pulled his hand out of his jacket and left the gun in it's sheath. Gin and Zero glared at each other for a while. Without taking her gaze off of Zero, she gave Tora and Darien a command. "Guys, let's go." she turned her back on Zero.

"We'll be in touch." said Tora. Darien, Tora and Gin left in Darien's car.

**Zero's POV**

Zero stared at Kei. _What would someone like her be doing with a group of vampires?_

"They make you uncomfortable, don't they, Zero?"

Zero snapped back to reality. "What?"

"My friends make you feel awkward, especially Gin, ne?" Kei said her, back to Zero and Yuki.

Midnight Gin was a garnet- eyed, pureblood vampire. She has extreme trademark hair. Her side bangs strands reached three inches past her shoulders While the rest of her hair is short and spiky in the back. Her hair is jet black, but she has platinum purple highlights on the ends of each strand of hair.

Uchiwa Tora is a hazel- eyed aristocrat vampire. She has long, flowing silver- blonde hair, with black tipped highlights and red streaks.

Seito Darien is an emerald, green eyed aristocrat vampire. His hair is medium brown with natural red highlights. He has bang strands just like Gin only they're shoulder length and his hair is naturally spiky.

"Why would you say that?"

"Honestly, why am I asking you this, I mean, since you and Yuki-"

"Do you three mind keeping it down." said an approaching voice.

_Aido Hanabasu and Kain Akatsuki, this ought to be an interesting fight_, thought Kei.

"Get out of here." Zero whispered darkly in Kei's direction.

"Don't think so."

"Kei-" started Yuki.

"Just let her. She is a Kuro after all." Kei smirked at him, "But you'll stay behind us."

_Shoulda guessed! _"Fine." said Kei. Yuki pulled out the Artemis Rod and Zero pulled out his Bloody Rose gun.

"What do you want, vampires?" hissed Zero.

"Just out for a stroll," said Aido.

"But, what is it to you, Kiryu?" said Kain.

"Unless,"

"You're hiding,"

**"Something."** they finished the sentence together.

_They're trying to disorient them!_ thought Kei,_ This is bad._

Aido stepped forward toward Yuki. She tried to take a step back, but she couldn't Aido had frozen her with on the spot where she had been standing. Zero tried to get to Yuki, but he just fell forward on his knees.

_Kain's gotten to Zero! They said to stay out of it, but..._ The Bloody Rose gun landed near Kei.

_It's been a long time since I held a long time since I held a gun_, smirked Kei as she clicked it preparing to fire.

"Well, Yuki, I guess ever since I had taste of you... I've wanted a little more..." said Aido inching closer to Yuki's neck.

_BAM!_

Everyone looked up.

**Kei's POV**

_BLAM!_

Everyone looked up at Kei, the Bloody Rose gun in her hand. She had fired a shot in the air in order to stop Aido from sinking his fangs in Yuki. She lowered the gun and pointed at Aido.

"Let her go..._ Aido_..." she hissed his name in disgust. Her eyes met his.

_No,_ thought Aido,_ it can't be her... but it is._

Kain had also realized that it was that it was Kei and released his hold on Zero.

"Now, now. What's someone like the famous Kuro Kei doing here?" asked Aido in a teasing manor.

_Click_

"Go to hell, the both of you." hissed Kei dangerously, her amethyst eyes glowing (literally) with rage.

"No so friendly this time, eh, Egypt?" said Aido

Kain released a gasp when he heard his cousin call Kei 'Egypt'. Kei shot another round, that if Aido hadn't moved in that little millisecond he would have been a pile of dead, fine powder.

"No fuckin' prick of a vampire calls by that name." hissed Kei pure venom laced in every word.

_He shall die!_ Kei locked the gun, put it in the leather strap tied around her thigh. Kei ran towards Aido, but Kain caught her from behind. She round house kicked Kain in the stomach, causing him to cough up a bit blood. Aido lunged toward Kei, fangs fully bared, but she leaped out of the way, he collided into Kain. Both vampires ran toward her. Kei untied the whip that she used as a belt and cracked it at Aido and Kain. It cut Kain's shoulder blade and when it snapped back, it caught Aido's cheek.

"You boys hurt?" Kei asked with fake sympathy. Before she could crack the whip again, she had been pushed back with a great force. Her shoulder collided into a tree and split some of the bark. Kei looked up and Aido and Kain were both pinned to a tree.

"What is going?" asked a voice. Kei looked to where the voice came from. Kei saw a guy with a Night Class uniform, brown hair and brown- red eyes, much like Yuki's.

"Kaname- sama-"

"No excuses. You two will meet with me later. Understood?"

**"Yes, Kaname- sama!"** replied Aido and Kain.

_Kaname? Wait, Kuran Kaname..._ realized Kei.

"I'm sorry about them, are you alright?" Kaname asked Kei, he extended his hand to pull her up. She took it, "I'm fine. Arigatou, Kaname."

"Yuki, are you alright?"

"Don't worry about me Kaname," Kei noticed a small blush on her face, "I'll be fine."

"Kiryu?"

"Hn. I'm fine."

Kaname left.

Yuki and Zero came up to Kei.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" asked Yuki.

Kei smirked, "When you're the only daughter of Kuro... you learn a lot things."

Kei clutched her shoulder and winced. She felt something sticky on her hand.

_I must have been cut when Kaname pushed me and I smashed into the tree._

Zero noticed that Kei was bleeding. He stiffened already as he saw the blood seeping out from her hand, as she tried to put pressure on the wound.

"You better go get that cleaned up. C'mon we'll take you to the Headmaster."

Kei nodded.

The three of them made their way to Cross's office.

"Kei," she looked at Zero, "Thanks."

"Welcome." she flatly.

**Cross's office**

"You say you read the manuals and yet you broke the no fighting on school grounds policy!" exclaimed Cross.

"I'm sorry -ow-" Kei winced as the stinging liquid hit her raw flesh that was bared by the open, bleeding wound.

"Sorry," Yuki apologized as she was cleaning Kei's wound.

"Headmaster, I only did what I did because I didn't desire to witness both Zero and Yuki being drained of their blood."

"What?!" exclaimed Cross.

"She's telling the truth," said Zero who had been leaning on the wall trough out the whole conversation, "Aido Hanabasu was about to bite Yuki. I couldn't help her because Kain Akatsuki had paralyzed me. So Kei had no other choice but to fight."

"But how did you fend them off?" asked Cross to said teenaged girl.

"They didn't see when I grabbed Zero's Bloody Rose gun. So when I fired it off, it distracted them long enough to release Yuki and Zero. So then we fought, afterwards I used the whip that I had tied around my waist to use against them."

"What I don't understand is how an ordinary 15-year-old girl, with no prior training, could take on and dismantle tow elite vampires."

"Your wrong, Headmaster," said Zero, "She's not just an ordinary girl,"

_Oh my God! Does he know?! _panicked Kei.

"She is the last remaining member of the prestigious, vampire hunting Kuro clan. And as far as her training goes, I think she's wield much more difficult weapons then a whip and a Bloody rose gun."

"And as for the physical training," stated Kei, "Training as hard or even harder than my older brother was an easy enough task. To say the least he only was able to draw third blood from me at least three or five times." The Headmaster just stared at Kei in awe.

_It's incredible that this girl, at such a young age, has the strength of an elite assassin and one that has been in the trade for many years. _

As though reading his mind, Kei decided to answer his doubts, "I know someone as young as me could _never_ be considered to have a history when you've been training since you were seven years old, or at the age I could hold a gun properly, you learn a lot of things." said Kei.

Everything was silent for a while.

_Could she really be this strong?_ wondered Cross, _She might even be better than Kiryu._

**Yuki's POV**

Yuki finished applying the last of the gauze and cloth bandages to Kei's wound.

"Okay, Kei. You're done." Kei had even forgotten that Yuki had been clearing her wound.

"Arigatou, Yuki." Kei got up to leave, but she was stopped by Cross.

"Kei, can you come back for a moment." Kei sat back down, were she had been, originally, seated.

"Headmaster Night filled out the forms, but there's one that you have to fill out personally."

"Hn." Cross went over to a filing cabinet and pulled out a charcoal black folder with silver, neat, cursive silver writing on it. The name Kuro Kei was written out in the same neat handwriting was printed on the tab.

**Kei's POV**

"My Vera Academy records." Kei muttered under her breath.

"Kuro 'Egypt' Kei," she winced at the sound of her nickname being read allowed, "Born October 10, entered Vera Academy at the age of 11. In the last four years she has received multiple counts for;

vandalism, speeding, shop lifting, street/school/graveyard brawls, carrying dangerous weapons, setting loose bats during the school production of _Romeo and Juliet_," Kei smirked inwardly at the recollection of the school play fiasco, "drinking while driving (_It was only once, _she thought), driving with an unregistered license, caught at 75+ Blood-Core, NightScallae, Rave, and etc. illegal parties, causing a riot on the street and school etc. etc. etc."

"That it?" Kei asked bored and unimpressed.

"Oh, no, there's much, much more, but I don't want to bore you with details."

"So did you just make me come here to discuss my past?" she asked darkly.

"No, I need you to sign here." He handed her a white document with thin black letters and the Cross Academy insignia on the top left corner.

"And this is for... ?"

"To verify that you shall keep the secret of the Night Class... so there shall be no chaos inflicted here on school grounds and also, that you agree that you have been accepted in the Day Class and need not be in the Night Class."

"Why would I be in the Night Class? It's not like I'm a vampire or something along those lines." Kei sighed and pulled out her black pen.

"You can't sign it with ink." said Cross.

"Then what?" she asked apathetically.

"Here," he handed her a small knife.

"What for?"

"It's to be in blood not ink."

"So, I have to sign in, not ink... but blood?"

Cross nodded.

Kei slit her finger and, with the quill Cross gave her, she dripped her blood on the tip and signed her name.

"You are all dismissed." Kei, Yuki and Zero left and headed towards the Sun Dorm.

**Cross's POV**

Once the blood dried he put the paper in Kei's folder and put it in the filing cabinet.

"Tomorrow's the first day, Kei," he said aloud, "We'll just see what's going to happen in the future... for all of us."

* * *

**wanna know what happens on the first day of high school? find out in the next chapter!**

**Yuki: Very nice beginning! i like it already**

**Zero: hn... i couldve kicked Kain's ass easily**

**Inner Crimson:_ get over yourself Zero!_**

**Crimson: can you two plz not kill each other before this story ends?!**

**Inner Crimson: _whatever_**

**Kei: -sweatdrop- this is going to be a living hell! anyways review**

**Zero: or else**

**Yuki: -hits Zero- oh sure scare the people why dont cha?!**

**Crimson: shut up!!!!!**

**Kei: --;**


	3. First Blood X Rough Night

**hey everyone. yeah i can probably guess some people hate me since ive been gone for so long but between life, school, and other things ive got zero time to even breathe. but im trying my hardest to add as much as i can to all of these stories so please bare with me just a while longer. thank you to everyone that has stuck with me for so long i love you all**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight (be awesome though, ne? and yes i also include the anime ;p)**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**First Blood; Rough Night**

**Last time: **_**"Tomorrow's the first day, Kei," said Cross to himself, "We'll just see what's going to happen in the future... for all of us."**_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**BEEP **

**BEEP**

**BEEP**

**BE- SMASH**

"Shut up you fuckin' piece of shit!!" exclaimed Kei as she smashed her alarm clock. She checked her wall clock.

_6 am in the damn morning,_ she though bitterly,_ and so begins the new life of the infamous Kuro Kei. _

A knock was heard on Kei's door. She rubbed her eyes, slid out of bed and dragged herself to open the door.

"Morning, Kei!" said Yuki in a cheerful tone.

Kei shook her head in order to clear her vision, "Hn." was all she could manage to say. Kei stepped out of the way so Yuki could come in.

"Wow, she decorates fast." Yuki said to herself. Kei had just arrived at Cross Academy just yesterday and her room was already redecorated. The walls that were once white, were now plastered with posters of multiple bands and singers. **nobody knows, Nagareboshi, Aluto, Yoko Shimomaru, Byakuya, Dir en Grey, Kesenai Tsumi **and multiple others.

Above her bed was a painting of a night sky with a left-sided crescent moon in the top- right hand corner, a right- sided crescent moon in the bottom left-corner and in the middle was a full moon with tow red roses covering up most of the moon. They were both tilted in opposite direction of the other. The border around it was a green, wrapping vine.

"You like the painting, don't you, Yuki?" she whipped around to look at Kei.

"Yeah, it's really beautiful." Kei stood next to Yuki, "Who did the painting?"

Kei became quiet for a while. She smirked, "I did."

Yuki turned to look at Kei, in disbelief.

"Hard to believe isn't it?"

Yuki didn't want to say anything in fear that if she would be rude Kei would be angry with her. "Well-" she started.

"It's okay, Yuki," said Kei. "it has that effect on a lot of people."

Yuki looked up at Kei. Kei smiled at her. She smiled back.

"So, why did you come to my room anyway?"

"Oh, I almost forgot," Yuki went over to the box she had set near the open door. "Headmaster Cross told me to bring you this."

Yuki handed Kei the box. Kei lifted the lid and inside was the Cross Academy Day Class uniform. Kei pulled out the white shirt, black jacket, skirt, cuffs and the cardinal red ribbon.

"I'll see you in class." Yuki said as she closed the door behind her.

--x--

Kei walked over to her mirror to see the end results of the Cross Academy transformation.

"Well, for one thing, the uniform is a lot better than Vera's." said Kei.

"True." responded a small voice. Kei looked up and resting on top of her mirror was a small bat.

"Gichi, did you follow me all the way from Vera Academy?" asked Kei in an irritated voice. Though she was happy to see him, nonetheless. The miniature bat flew down from the mirror and landed on top of the pillow of Kei's, newly, made bed.

"Well, after I saw Night and you leave I decided to come along as well."

"But how? The light could have blinded you." said Kei She sat on the bed and, gently, picked up the pillow and put it on her lap without disturbing the little bat.

"Gommen. But it was either come with you or Kusan gets animal control to capture all the bats left over from the school play fiasco."

Kei sighed and picked Gichi from the pillow and gingerly placed him on her shoulder. She got up from her bed and walked back to the mirror.

"It fits you better than your last uniform," observed Gichi.

"It does," Kei said turning around trying to see how it looked from every angel.

Kei, for a girl of 15, she had really developed figure. Vera Academy's uniform would fit her baggy and since she was slim, the uniform made her look like a beam pole.

"There's just one thing missing," said Gichi. He flew to Kei's nightstand and picked up a sliver chain and put it in Kei's open hand. Kei opened her hand. It was a small red garnet rose bloom that was strung to the chain. Gichi hovered above her hand.

Kei smiled at the little, "Arigatou, Gichi," She hooked the necklace on and gazed at it in the mirror. "Gichi, you are brilliant, aren't you?"

The miniature bat landed on Kei's shoulder.

"I try," he said.

"Well, I better be off to class," she grabbed her bag, "Now, Gichi, you better stay here I don't want you to get caught."

"Please, Kei? I want to--"

"No, Gichi!" Kei said sternly.

"What if I hide around your ponytail? I mean that thing is so long it's a miracle that they don't call you Rapunzel."

She glared at him,_ 'I hate it when he does this_,' though Kei. "All right, you can come," he began to squeak with joy. "but not so much as peep or any noise for that matter and you cannot be visible. Okay?" she said with stern emphasis.

"Fine," said the little pouch of leather. He crawled under her ponytail, clung to the collar of her jacket and rested there. "This okay?"

Kei shook her shoulders a little, "It's fine."

**In class**

Kei walked into the class room.

"Just like back in Vera," Kei muttered under her breath.

Everyone was in their own little group, babbling away, blissfully. Kei scanned the room, but saw nothing but a sea of students in black Day Class uniforms.

"Kei-chan!" someone exclaimed.

Kei turned to see Yuki waving at her. Zero was their with her and so was another girl.

"Hey, what took you so long?" Yuki asked Kei when she sat down next to her.

"I had a few unexpected last minute things to do."

Yuki nodded.

"Yori," she called to the girl with short brown hair. "Kei, this is my best friend."

"Konichiwa, Kei-chan," Yori said.

"Konichiwa, Yori," Kei said.

"So, Kei, where are you from?"

"I transferred here from Vera Academy." She nodded at Kei's response.

"You've come along way then. Haven't you, Kei?" asked Zero taking a seat a row above Kei, Yuki and Yori.

"You could say that, Kiryu," said Kei turning around to face Zero. "Since it's three counties away and by the end of the almost 7 1/2 - 8 hour car ride, your ass is numb that if you got hit with the Artemis Rod, you wouldn't feel it."

"So you come here then?"

Kei's eyes narrowed,_ 'Why does he want to know so much?'_

"That's be--"

"Class take your seats," the professor walked in to begin class.

Kei rolled her eyes in complete boredom. Yuki yawned and put her head down in her arms.

"We have a new student here at Cross Academy," the professor gestured in Kei's direction. "Please make her feel welcome."

Almost if on cue both genders of the Day Class had some opinion. The girls shot her some dirty looks.

"She's way to beautiful. She must be from the Night Class and decided just to mock us." "No, she's here just to steal the guys of the Night Class!!" and some other meaningless crap like that.

And for the guys: "She is so hott!" "She can't be from our class can she?" "Definitely Night Class material!"

_'What the fuck is wrong with these people?!' _Kei thought angrily.

"You're making up quiet a stir," said the little bat.

"Shut it, Gichi," Kei spat.

All Gichi could do was chuckle quietly.

The professor began to teach and spoke in a monotone type of voice.

"My ears can't take it anymore!" Gichi said a little too loud.

"Ms. Kuro," the professor directed sternly towards Kei."Is there a problem?"

All eyes were now on Kei.

"No."

The professor glared at her than returned to writing on the board.

"Gichi!" hissed Kei under her breath.

"Gommen," said the little bat. Kei stared around the room out of pure boredom. She looked at Yuki, who was in a deep slumber. She turned to look behind her at Zero who, was also, nuzzled into his folded arms, sleeping soundly.

_'Late night for the Guardians_, thought Kei smiling at Zero and Yuki's peaceful figures.

**Zero's POV**

"Yuki, Zero, what are you still doing in class?"

Zero looked up in the door way stood Kei. He gave her a bored look. "Supplementary class"

"Sounds dreadfully boring." said Gichi.

"Shut up!" hissed Kei.

"Why are you telling me to shut up? You were the one who wanted to know," Zero said annoyed.

"I didn't mean you," Kei said annoyed.

"Either way I'm bored. Can I please-"

"No, you can't get out of here," Kei said cutting off Gichi.

"What?" Zero said walking down the rows.

"Pissed off teenage boy," stated Gichi.

"I wasn't pissed before but I am now," said Zero his voice getting low and dangerous.

"I've said to much haven't I?" Gichi asked shifting his position under Kei's hair.

"No shit," replied Kei.

Zero stood directing in front of her.

**Yuki's POV**

"Zero, Kei don't do anything stupid!" exclaimed Yuki. Both of the disregarded her words. It was until then that Yuki saw Kei and Zero that close to each other that she noticed their similarities. They both had silver hair. Though, Kei's was a darker silver than his. They had purple eyes. Zero's, a light lilac. Kei's a dark violet/amethyst color. One thing that was painfully obvious similar about the two of them was that when they were infuriated, their eyes would glow dangerously and menacingly. Rage was coasted in both angelic- carved faces.

"Okay then, Mr. Disciplinary Committee," Kei teased menacingly. "Let's see if your as strong as they say you are."

"Fine," Zero replied in a hard voice.  
Kei threw a punch, Zero caught her fist. He didn't notice her other fist until it collided with his jaw. He wiped the blood that trickled down the corner of his mouth. They continued to fighting, landing and avoiding blow after blow.

_'I have to do something_,' thought Yuki. She jumped down from her seat and got between Kei and Zero using the Artemis Rod to stop them. They were breathing hard. They were covered in bruises and bleeding in some areas as well. Kei's hair hung loosely around her.

_'Kei's ponytail must have come undone in that last stunt they pulled off,'_ figured Yuki.

**Kei's POV**

It hit her at that instant.

"Gichi!" she exclaimed in horror.

"Gichi?" Yuki and Zero said in equal confusion.

"Right here," said small weary voice.

Kei, Zero and Yuki whipped around. The little black, leathery bat was laying on top of one of the desks looking, very much, disoriented.

"Gichi!" exclaimed Kei as she ran to the little bat.

"You okay?" she picked him up in her hands.

Gichi shook his head, vigorously, to clear it. "I'm fine."

Kei, gingerly, placed him on her shoulder. Kei walked steady and evenly in order to prevent in more waves of disorientation to come upon her little friend.

"That's Gichi?" asked Yuki.

"Uh... depends whether or not I'm allowed to keep him," said Kei flatly.

"Pets aren't allowed," Zero said.

"Whatever."

"I though you were here to clear your record."

Kei's eyes were a dangerous, deep purple reddish color as she stared at Kiryu.

"Listen, Kiryu," said Kei venom dripping from every word. "You may be part of the Disciplinary Committee. You may be Cross's adopted son...but nothing in this lifetime is going to give you the right to begin to tell me how to live my life!"

Zero remained quiet digesting Kei's words of boldness. He looked away for a minute. Zero turned to look back at Kei.

Zero sighed, "Look... as long as Headmaster Cross doesn't find out, Gichi can stay."

The little bat flew off of Kei's shoulder and landed on Zero's.

"Thanks and don't worry. I'll stay out of sight."

"Hn."

"Zero, Kei, maybe you should go to the infirmary and get all that blood cleaned up and get your wounds treated," suggested Yuki.

"Fine," replied Zero.

"All right," replied Kei.

All the while down to the infirmary, Kei and Zero were absolutely silent. Gichi never left his perch from Zero's shoulder.

**After class transition**

"Tired, Zero?" asked Yuki.

He blinked a couple of times to shake the fatigue and sleepiness. Zero turned to look at her, "Not really. It's just the bruises that hurt and so do some of the deeper cuts that I got from Kei.

Yuki placed the palm of her hand to the once bleeding cut on Zero's cheek. "I though you healed quickly."  
Zero placed his hand on hers. "I do but that doesn't mean it still doesn't hurt a bit."

Yuki looked away from Zero for a moment. Still, without looking at him, she spoke in a hush tone. "If you were to drink-"

"Yuki-"

"Zero," she looked back at him, her eyes serious and determined, "I don't like to see you like this and... it's time that you fed, isn't it?"

Zero looked at her, wide-eyed. "Yuki, I can't ask you to do that."

"Zero," her eyes softened ever so slightly. "you know I'm not doing this because your asking me to. It's because I want to and you need to and because I care deeply about you Zero. Your like a brother to me and family doesn't leave others behind."

Zero closed his eyes as he felt Yuki's hand against the tender flesh of his cheek. He smirked at her without opening his eyes. Yuki had to smile at the sight of her 'brother'. The familiar moment between them suddenly shattered when an ear- piercing screech was heard. Yuki and Zero ran to where the chaotic scene was beginning to unfold.

**--x--**

**So what exactly is the scene that is about to unfold? Will peace be able to be kep between the Night Class and the a certain girl with a** **treacherous soul?**

**Only the next chapter will tell.**

**Kei: now doesn't that make you want to read it all the more? -sarcastic tone-**

**Yuki: of course it does!! :)**

**Zero: things are finally starting to get intresting **

**Inner Crimson:_ if you think this good, wait until_-**

**Crimson: -claps her hand over her mouth- mind not spoiling it?!**

**Zero: -anime sweat drop- anyways... Review!**


	4. Second Blood X Sunset

**good night everyone! will technically it's 12:25 in the am currently so... for me it's night but some call it morning... okay im babbling my bad -sweatdrop- anyways... i have been doing some work on this story as well as my others so im pretty happy on how all of my stories have been going. **_**Rebels and Bloody Roses**_** i have to say has been one of the most mixed of all my stories. i think it's been one of those 'can't stop writing cuz my pencil's connected to my heart and if i stop writing i might day most likely' type of things. i guess because the characters are so multi-dimensional there's never just one side to them there are multiple sides to everyone, including my own character, Kuro Kei i think that's what makes writing a fanfic for **_**Vampire Knight**_** so interesting.**

**but enough with my long winded speeches. on with the story**

**Zero: it took you long enough, Crimson**

**Inner Crimson: **_**shove it Kiryu!**_

**Crimson: you two are hopeless**

**Yuki: i have to second that notion**

**Kei: Ugh, if no one's going to say I guess I'll do it! **

**Kei: Disclaimer: Crimson doesn't own **_**Vampire Knight **_**and if she did... well it wouldn't be such a 'censored' manga/anime.**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Second Blood; Sunset's Lust**

**Last time: **_**The familiar moment between them suddenly shattered when an ear- piercing screech was heard. Yuki and Zero ran to where the chaotic scene was beginning to unfold...**_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"So you vampires just came out here to pick a fight, then?" Kei said as she dodged a blow from Souen Ruka.

"And they say that you are elites around here. It doesn't really look it," she round- house kicked Shiki Senrei in the stomach.

"They say that vampire hunters learn to hold their tongues when-- Oomph!" Kain Akatsuki didn't get to finish off his sent her backwards with a blow to his rib cage.

Kei let out a screech of pain as she kneeled on the ground. She touched her cheek and it was cut, streaming a thin flow of her red blood thanks to the swipe Toya Rima gave her.

_Shit, this isn't good!_

"What an enticing smell," said Aido sniffing the air.

Shiki and Rima grabbed her by the arms.

"Let me go you fuckin' leeches!" Kei exclaimed.

Aido approached her. He stroke her cheek, gently, with his fingertips.

"So I guess this is the full capacity of the Kuro clan," his fangs began to grow out. "I guess all that's let for your usefulness would be your blood."

Kei tried to reach her gun, but Shiki and Rima's grip was to strong. Like being constricted with solid, steel cables.

Kei felt Aido's warm tongue massage into her neck, she felt his icy breath on her flesh. The slight coldness of his fangs traced on the skin of her neck. Aido opened his mouth and--

**BANG!**

A shot was heard .

**Zero's POV**

Zero's rage began to seer as he saw Kei in Ruka and Seiren's grip, but what truly made his rage surge and overflow was Aido taunting Kei's existence. The way he taunted her, the way his green- blue eyes met her dark violet eyes was bone chilling, as her eyes widened in horror. The thought of her being at the hands of Aido was too much for him.

"That's it..." he murmured his face hidden by his silver bangs. Zero pulled out his Bloody Rose gun.

"Zero! No!" cried Yuki.

**BLAM!!**

Everything stood silent for a long time, all that could be heard was someone's shallow breathing.

**CRASH**

A body hit the floor with a loud thud.

**--x--**

Yuki looked up just in time to see someone collapse on the ground. Yuki ran to whoever had just fallen from the bullet received from Zero's gun. Yuki knelt down next to the body, She turned it over and gasped. Silent tears ran down her face. Kuro Kei lay wounded. The flesh of her shoulder lay raw, torn, bloody and bleeding.

"Kei..." Yuki breathed. "ZERO!"

**--x--**

_Oh, God, please no!_ Zero sprinted down to the where Yuki was kneeling next to the fallen person. His very air was torn from his lungs when he saw the sight of a bloody Kei.

"Kei..." he said in horror stricken voice, realizing what he had just done. His gun dropped to the ground with a metallic clank.

"Zero, I told you not to!" yelled Yuki. Zero put his ear to Kei's chest.

"She's still breathing which means she hasn't undergone in any state of shock due to the impact of the bullet."

Zero picked Kei up, bridal style.

"Yuki, you take care of Kain, Toya, Shiki, Aido and Souen..."

"That won't be necessary, Kiryu," said a voice.

"Kaname!" exclaimed Yuki.

Out of the shadows came Kuran Kaname, his eyes gleaming with ferocity and displease.

"K- Kaname- s-s-sama we-" Aido was cut off as Kaname slapped him across the face. Though, it seemed a lot stronger then a slap since Aido coughed a bit of blood.

"Aido, not one more word," Kaname said in a dangerously low voice.

"Kaname- sama?" said Seiren standing next to Kaname, coming out of nowhere.

"Take them and have them stay in the foyer, Seiren," he ordered.

"Hai." Everyone followed Seiren out.

Kaname left without a word.

"Zero, we have to get Kei to the infirmary, fast! She's losing a lot of blood," exclaimed Yuki.

Zero, simply, nodded and ran fast as he possibly could. Kei was still cradled in his arms as he ran, trying not to cause any further injuries to the girl.

**Infirmary wing** **(The next morning)**

A knock was heard on the door.

"Come in," answered the nurse.

The door opened and Yuki walked in quietly.

"Good morning, Yuki- chan," greeted the nurse.

"Morning. How's Kei doing?"

"She's fine. The wound will take a few days to heal, but all-in-all, the injury wasn't too serious."

Yuki smiled, "That's good to know. Could I see her?"

"Of course, Yuki- chan, but don't make too much noise. I trust that they're still sleeping in there. Tired young this, the both of them."

_They're?_ Yuki made her way to the room where Kei was situated. She opened the door and was a bit surprised at the sight that she had just been presented with. In a chair next to where Kei lay, Kiryu Zero slept soundly. He had turned the chair to face Kei and his head was nuzzled in his folded arms, which were resting on the bed.

"You must have stayed here all night, huh, Zero..."

_**Flashback**_

_Zero had thrown open the door to the medical wing. The nurse had been startled by the loud crash of the wooden door._

_"Please, help her," said Zero still holding Kei in his arms._

_"This way," the nurse said to the two members of the Disciplinary Committee. She led them to a room at the end of the wing._

_"Lay her down here," Zero laid Kei down on the bed. _

_The nurse began to inspect Kei's wound._

_"Could you please, both, step outside." It wasn't a question it was an order. An order by which Yuki and Zero could do nothing but obey it._

_"I'm so stupid," said Zero. _

_Yuki sighed, "Zero, you were just trying to protect her," said Yuki. "I mean, she'll be okay. The bullet only cut her shoulder. If you had let Aido bite her, he would have drained her."_

_"Still, Yuki. I still let her get hurt and as a Guardian it's our job to make sure no harm comes to the Day Class by the Night Class. There is no vice versa to that one rule though."_

_Yuki hugged Zero tightly._

_"Don't be too hard on yourself, Zero."_

_Zero gave her a quick squeeze and then let go of her._

_-__**A couple of hours later...**_

_Yuki had fallen asleep on Zero's shoulder. He hadn't slept at all that night. He hadn't stop wondering if Kei would be all right. Then again, humans couldn't be hurt by the Bloody Rose but the basic shock of it could do some damage later on. The nurse came out of the room. Zero looked up at her, trying to read her expression whether news would be good or bad. The nurse, to his relief, smiled, "She's going to be all right. You can see her now if you desire to," she left Zero and Yuki alone. Zero felt Yuki stir._

_"Yuki, we can go see her now." _

_Yuki sat up and stretched. "Hai."_

_They walked into the room. Kei was looking up at the ceiling._

_"Kei, how do you feel?" Yuki asked. _

_Kei looked over in their direction. She smirked, "Like I just get hit with a bullet."_

_"Not funny, Kei," said Yuki flustered._

_"No, but I am all right either way." _

_Zero stood next to Kei, "Kei, I'm sorry about all this."_

_"Don't worry about, Zero. You were only trying to save me."_

_"I ended up hurting you."_

_"So? If Aido had bitten me, I would have been killed," she looked at him. "And for that I thank you."_

**--x--**

_"Zero, it's getting late," Yuki said with a yawn._

_"Go home, Yuki, I'll leave in a couple of minutes." _

_Yuki yawned once again, "Ja ne."_

_"Ja ne."_

_"Zero, go home. You look exhausted," Kei said when Yuki had left._

_"Don't worry about me. Kei, I'm the one that hurt you. The least I can do is stay with you--"_

_"To make sure I won't die," she said sarcastically._

_Zero light lilac rolled his eyes at her._

_"You know you're too stubborn for your own good, Kiryu Zero," Kei huffed._

_"And you're too hot- headed for your own good, Kuro Kei." _

_"Touché," Kei said simply._

_**End of flashback**_

Yuki placed her hand on Zero's shoulder. She felt him stir as he breathed in deeply and he slowly opened his eyes.

"Hmm?" His light lilac eyes were still a bit hazy from his recent awakening. Zero lifted his head from his makeshift pillow. "Yuki?"

"Gommen, ne... I didn't mean to wake you, Zero."

Zero sat up and stretched, "Don't worry about it, Yuki," Zero looked up at her. "I guess I'm late for class, huh?"

"Yeah, but I got out with special permission. It's late anyway, Zero, you don't have to go back to class. Why don't you just go and get some rest?"

Zero got up and walked over to the door, "I guess I will ... just go down to the stables for a while."

"But, Zero-" He had already left.

Yuki let out a sigh and began to make her way back to class. _When he needs to think on matters like these, he always goes down there,_ thought Yuki.

**--x--**

_"You know you won't last much longer, Kei." said a voice from the darkness. Kei laid on the ground wounded, beaten, bleeding and terribly thirsty.  
_

_"I won't ... give ... in...!"  
_

_"Oh, really?" hissed the silky smooth voice. "By tonight you will shall crumble and you'll be reduced to a pile of ashes."  
_

_"Never!"  
_

_"Well, since you aren't accepting your own damned fate... I guess you won't care about your dear brother's."  
_Kei sat up, gasping for breath, which she did not have. Each breath felt as though someone had set her lungs on fire and they were burning with a flame that nothing could put out.

"Calm yourself, Kei, it was only another nightmare," she looked out the windows. "It's already night. I need to go take a walk, but how do I get out of here?" Kei slipped out of bed and went to change her clothes. "Thank God that Yuki left me clothes here for me to change into once I was released."

Kei wore black tank top, black and red stripped sleeves, dark navy jeans, a black studded belt and black and white converse. "If only Gichi we -- that's it! Gichi!"

**--x--**

Gichi was hanging upside down in Kei's closet when he was disturbed by his own sneeze.

"That was odd," he said to himself. "The only time I ever truly sneeze is when Kei needs me and desperately at that. Might as well head to the infirmary to go see what's up."

With that, the little bat flew off to the medical wing.

"Good thing the Day Class are all asleep, otherwise things would become unpleasant for me."

As Gichi reached the infirmary wing he saw that the nurse was still in there.

"Blast! She's still here? Doesn't she have anything else better to do. It's not like someone's randomly going to come to the infirmary at heights of the night... or morning for some people since it's well past midnight. How do I get her out of here?"

Gichi thought for a moment, he smiled a malicious smile. _Good thing humans are so afraid of my kind.  
_

Gichi flew into the infirmary and started to squeak and screech. The nurse gave a bloodcurdling screech and ran out.

**--x--**

Kei heard the nurses sudden screech and smirked.

"Gichi, what would I do without you?" she said to herself. She opened the door and checked to make sure the nurse was gone and then ran out of the infirmary; Gichi flying next to her.

"You owe me," said the little bat.

"But of course," said Kei. She stopped running when she felt the cool night air hit her face.

"I desperately needed to get out of there," Kei breathed.

"I'm going to go fly around for a while, Kei- chan," Gichi said.

"Hn."

"When are you ever going to stop responding in monosyllabic terms?"

"Never. That was two," Kei said with a smirk. The little bat rolled his light green eyes and flew off.

"Ja ne!" Gichi called.

"Ja ne," Kei walked for a while around the grounds, being careful to avoid the Night Class and the Disciplinary Committee. She decided to head down to the stables. Kei, in the few days of her stay, had 'tamed' White Lily, or as the Day Class students like to put it, The Horse From Hell. Kei was about to go in when she noticed that someone was already in the stable. Kei leaned against the wall and looked up at the cloudy, night sky.

"Why did it have to be you?" she breathed the whisper.

**--x--**

"You're in a better mood since from this morning's riding lessons, White Lily," Zero said to the pure white mare. White Lily sensed something odd in the atmosphere and let out a whine.

"What is it?" Zero said he had stopped stroking her at this point.

She shoved her head in the direction of the entrance of the stable.

Zero raised an eyebrow, "Be right back, Lily."

Zero stepped gently towards the entrance and looked around the corner and that's when he saw her.

"How long are you going to stand there?" Kei looked up at him and merely shrugged. "What are you doing here, Kei? It's not safe for you to be out here."

Kei looked at him... and smirked, "I'm not a little clueless girl from the Day Class, Zero, I can take care of myself and furthermo--"

Kei sucked in a painful gasp of air, hard. Her heart began to crash against the walls of her rib cage, like a savage beast trying to escape from it's prison.

"Kei...?" Zero approached her cautiously. "What's wrong?""

"Leave me alone... Zero!" she yelled at him. She began to run towards the entrance of the Sun Dorm.

_What the hell is going on?_ Zero thought as he ran after her. "Kei!" he called. He stopped running when he was at the bottom of the steps.

"Zero... get out of here (huff) (huff) leave me be," Kei said darkly her voice still strained as another wave of pain racked her body.

"Not until I get some answers on wha--" Zero felt a cold hand on his shoulder and another on his neck.

"Don't move," Kei whispered in his ear gently and almost... seductively?

"Kei--" Zero was caught off in mid- sentence as he felt the warmth and heat of Kei's full, soft lips press against the flesh of his neck. He shivered as he felt her tongue glide, gently, over his skin. Zero opened his mouth to protest but rather a gasp escaped from his lips as the sudden lash of pain was afflicted on his neck as the sudden pressure of two fangs dug into his neck. Zero couldn't think, breathe or react in anyway. Finally, he came back.

"Kei! Get the hell off me!" Zero shoved her back, hard. It hurt with a biting anger as the shove pulled the fangs, so suddenly from his neck.

**--x--**

Kei felt the sudden shove that pushed her back from Zero's neck. She could feel the drops of his sweet blood run down her lips to her chin. She wiped off the excess blood with her red and blacked stripped sleeve.

**--x--**

Zero turned to look at her. He felt the still slow and gentle flow of his blood coming from the deep puncture wounds in his neck. Kei's shined with deep- violet red lust. Her tongue ran against her lips, licking off all the excess blood that was left on them. Her tongue, between the two bloodied, yet gleaming fangs that protruded, obscenely, from her crimson- stained lips.

_Kei's... a vampire...!_

**--x--**

**Kei's a vampire, Zero's freaked and no one knows except them!! What will happen now?**

**Inner Crimson: _that was the fuckin chapter!_**

**Crimson: and we're not even to the really good parts yet**

**Yuki: OH MY GOD!! YOU'RE A- A- -faints-**

**Kei: -sweatdrop- is she going to be okay?**

**Zero: eh, she'll be okay... i guess**

**Kei: right then**

**Zero: i have to say... the chapter was pretty good**

**Kei: you freakin shot me!**

**Zero: if i hadnt you would have been dead! and it was an acccident!!**

**Kei: NICE AIM!!**

**Zero: WELL YOU FREAKIN BIT ME!!**

**Kei and Zero: -continue to bicker-**

**Crimson and Inner Crimson: -sweatdrop- _REVIEW!!_**


	5. Third BloodXShattered Mirror Broken Tear

**konichiwa, my honorable guests. **

**gommen na sai... for the long wait. i was to send in a chapter last week but i fell ill and could not update in of my stories so i apologize once again, to all of you. but now that i've had a good rest and everything, i am her to continue my work.**

**Zero: enough rambling already, let's just get on with this**

**Kei: i'm with Kiryu- teme on that notion.**

**Zero: what did you just call me?!**

**Inner Crimson: **_**WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP!!**_

**Yuki: oh for God's sake. i'll do it!**

**Yuki: Disclaimer: Crimson doesn't own **_**Vampire Knight**_**, though it would be interesting to see if she did.**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Third Blood- Shattered Mirror; Broken Tears**

**Last Time: **_**"... eyes shining with violet- red lust. Fangs obscenely protruding from her crimson- stained lips. 'Kei's... a vampire... !'"**_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Zero stared at the girl in front of him, wide-eyed. He touched the base of his neck and slowly brought it in front of his face. It was covered in his deep, scarlet blood. The blood within his body turned icy in his veins and became as heavy as lead. Kei had finally snapped back to reality she looked at both her hands; stained with Zero's blood.

"Zero... I..." Zero in one swift moment, hid Kei and himself behind the wall. "Zero-- mm- mmff!"

"Kei, quiet," Zero ordered her in a whisper as he clamped his hand on her mouth.

"You can smell it everywhere, can't you, Kaname?"

"Yes, I can, Takuma." Kuran Kaname and Ichijou Takuma came into sight.

_Shit,_ thought Zero.

"Where is it coming from?" inquired the blonde, green- eyed vampire.

"I'm not exactly sure, Takuma. We'll have to scour the grounds for the source. The scent of it has died down a bit."

Zero flinched as he felt Kei's hand on his neck where the puncture wounds were located.

"Kei... ?!"

"It's to calm the flow a bit. Don't give me that look, Zero, I'm not going to attack again. I'm all right now." Kei looked up at the 16-year-old glaring down at her. "Oh, why am I even bothering to explain control to a full-on human. You wouldn't and couldn't understand."

"Your wrong about that, Kuro," Zero said quietly.

"Am I?" her tone irritated and hard.

"Yes, you are," Zero paused for a moment, sighed and spoke in a somber tone. "I guess this would be a good time for a confession, huh?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Kei, there's someth--"

"Kaname, I think it's coming from over there." Ichijou called out to the pure- blood vampire.

"Shit, they're coming," said Zero.

"Then we better get a move on," Kei replied, a smirk adorning her lips.

They both crouched down low and began to run as quickly as possible to the Sun Dorm, without being noticed by Kaname or Takuma. They, eventually, managed to slip into the dorm. Zero and Kei slowed their pace to a walk. Kei turned without saying a word, heading to her room. After a while, she noticed that Zero hadn't been heading back to his room, but rather following her to her own. Kei stopped abruptly, as did Zero after being a couple of steps in front of her.

"Why are you still following me? I can walk to my own dorm."

Zero turned to face her, "We need to talk."

"About what?" Kei asked, coldly.

"About what just happened tonight."

Kei pushed passed him and shook her head, "There is nothing that I owe an explanation to."

Zero caught her by the arm and turned her around for her to face him. "What did I ever do to you to make you hate me so much?!" His light lilac eyes met deep violet ones. Kei forced herself from his grip only to be caught by the shoulders.

"What do you want from me? What, Kiryu, what?!" she exclaimed.

"What I want is to know what the fuck is going on with you," his voice in a low, deadly tone.

"Why?" she hissed.

"To make sure your... _situation_... is in under enough control that Cross doesn't need to know. And, because, believe it or not, I know what you're going through." Zero said in a low voice.

"Right. I bet when you were taught to kill vampires you helped them, huh? 'Cause I don't remember that in the basic training... or the common sense area either."

"Kei," he turned her head so she looking at him, "look."

Kei turned to look at him; her eyes went wide with shock. "Zero, you're a--" she didn't dare finish the sentence. Out of Zero's mouth, protruded two, gleaming white fangs. Kei could tell they were slightly longer than her own.

"A vampire," he said, an edge of disgust curled as he said the word 'vampire'.

Kei looked down both sides of the hall to make sure no one was around. "Come with me." She pulled Zero down the hall by the hand into her room.

She closed the door behind the. "Okay, start talking." Kei demanded of him.

"Nani?"

"Ugh! How did you become a vampire?!"

"No, you talk first. You owe me that much." Zero rubbed his neck where the puncture wounds were. The gesture didn't go unnoticed by Kei.

She sighed.

"Fine," she sat down on her bed and Zero sat on the chair in the corner of the room. "I was about ten-years-old when it happened."

_**Flashback**_

_Ten-year-old Kuro Kei was heading back home from training with her sensei, Nagoma Itachi. When she came home, she found what could only be described as a bloody hell. Everywhere there were the bodies of her clan members. There was blood everywhere... the stench of it was everywhere and particularly warm night magnified the stench of death that proliferated the night. Kei on instinct, ran to her home. Kei's heart felt like it would jump out of it's place from her chest to her small throat. Her parents laid about, torn and bleeding. There were mangled to the point that you couldn't even tell what was what. Kei fell to her knees, her eyes wide with terror._

_"Kei..." she heard a voice say rasp from behind her. Kei's brother stood in the door way. She could see that he had a few cuts on his face and there were three claw marks on the front of his shirt. The gashes were bleeding, not heavily though._

_"Ronin," she said to him, "what happened?"_

_It took a while for him to regain his composure. "We were attacked by a horde of vampires. Newly turned... about a couple days old. We took the first few down... went without a hitch... but then... _he _came."_

_"Who, nii-san?!" Kei asked him frantically. He never had a chance to tell her who it was that killed their clan and parents._

"He died?" Zero asked.

"No, he didn't but something else happened."

_Ronin and Kei heard a huge crashing sound, followed by heavy footsteps coming their way._

_"Hurry, Kei, we have to go... now!" he told her._

_They ran as fast and as silently as possible, but they couldn't escape. More newly turned , vampires were coming._

_"Kei," her brother told her, "you have to get away."_

_"I won't leave without you nii-san!" Kei exclaimed._

_"Now's not the time_ _to argue, Kei."_

_"But--" _

_Ronin cut her off, "Kei, please."_

_Kei saw the raw emotion of ferocity and pain in his eyes as he pleaded her to go. Biting her lip and fighting the tears, she nodded. Kei threw her arms around Ronin's neck and cried out, "I love you, Ronin."_

_He gave her a squeeze and kissed her on the top of the head. "I love you too, Kei. An extreme amount. Now go!" _

_Kei ran and ran for what seemed for days. Until she collapsed in the snow._

_"Are you all right, little one?" Kei heard a low voice say. It was of a man, no doubt. When she looked up, Kei was paralyzed. He was a vampire. Kei couldn't move. She felt him grab her by the shoulders. All-too-ready to bite her. With the last bit of strength she had, she pulled away and ran, but her attempts of escape had been in vain. As you could probably guess, the male vampire bit Kei and turned her into one. As Kei laid bleeding, someone found her. Midnight Gin found her that night and took Kei in. They became inseparable despite the fact that she was a pure- blood vampire. She had become an older sister to Kei. Soon Gin enrolled Kei to Vera Academy so she could study with her also. And, at Vera was where Kei had met Darien and Tora. _

_**End of flashback**_

"After that, you now the rest. But there's still something I don't comprehend on the night the vampire bit me."

"What?" Zero asked her.

"Is that when he first bit me, he only took a bit of my blood and pulled away. Almost automatically. It was almost like my blood burned him or something. As though if he would drink, more than a drop, he would be killed."

"That's odd," said Zero, quietly.

"Okay, I told you my life story, let's hear yours."

"Not now," Zero said.

"Why?" Kei said, hotly.

Zero smirked. It was entertaining to see her easily ticked off.

"'Cause it's already 5:45 in the morning and you gotta be up in roughly... an hour, so you might want to cram at least an hour of sleep," Zero got up and went out the door but then turned around to look at Kei. "though you might just want to get ready now." He left.

Kei fell back on her bed, "Kiryu, I'm going to get you for this one."

Kei got up and went to her closet to get her uniform. She laid it out on her bed and headed for the Headmaster's Private bathroom. Technically it was only to be used by Zero, Yuki and the Headmaster, himself, but Kei was allowed to use it. The Headmaster had explained that to her the day she came to Cross Academy. Kei showered, all the while she couldn't help but wonder some things about Zero.

_Why does he refuse on telling me what had made him what he is now? I know for fact that--_ Her own thoughts were caught off.

"Of course," she uttered. Kei showered off, quickly, pulled on her bathrobe and ran to her room. As she was getting dressed she composed all of her thoughts and put everything together. It was now painfully obvious what had happened to Zero.

"Where's my..."

"Looking for this?"

Kei looked up and saw Gichi, hovering. "Thanks, Gichi," said Kei. The little bat placed the necklace in her hand and hung upside from the metal pole that was in Kei's closet. Kei parted the clothes a bit so Gichi would have a little more room.

"Had a good feeding last night?" Kei inquire, as she finished getting ready.

"Actually, yes, I did," he said.

"Glad to hear." Kei yawned widely and glanced at her wall clock. "7:30 might as well get to class." As Kei went to pick- up her bag, her cell phone began to ring.

"What the--"

"You might want to get that. It's interrupting my rest, " Gichi said, in an irritated tone.

"Gommen ne," Kei said, apathy evident in her tone. She flipped upon her cell phone. She had recently changed her ring tone to, "Colors of the Heart" from UVERworld.

"Hello," Kei said.

_"Get _your_ ass down here... we're going out today!" _said a silvery voice from the other line.

"Gin, what the fuck are you taking about?" Kei said, in frustration.

_"What I'm saying is, why not cut school and head down to the beach?"_

"Vamps... at the beach...? This ought to be entertaining." Kei tried to keep the smirk out of her voice but it was useless."

_"Going to be major cloud coverage all day. It's the perfect time to go."_

"Pure-blood vamp say what now?!"

_"What she says is true, Kei-chan," _said Darien.

"If you guys still don't convince me, are you going to make Tora recite the third aria over the phone?" An intake of air was heard on the other line.

"STOP! Okay, Tor, I love you, but your singing could wake the dead and then make them commit suicide," Kei said.

"Hey!" cried Tora over the phone.

Kei smirked.

_"So you coming or not?"_ asked Gin, now irritated with her best friend.

"Fuck, yeah, I am!" Kei replied.

_**"Long live the infamous Kuro Kei!"**_ The three of them cheered over the phone. She was about to hang up when she realizedsomething, "What do you mean 'get your ass down here'?" It dawned on her, she hung up and ran to the window. A wide smile spread over her face.

"Might as well get changed out of this," Kei said, looking down at her school uniform.

**--x--**

"Where is she?" asked Gin, impatiently. Her garnet eyes holding the same amount of irritation.

"Relax, Gin," Darien said brushing a piece of his red-brown gold hair out of his emerald eyes. "She'll be here soon enough."

"Not soon enough though." She ran a hand through her jet-black hair.

"You should consider retouching your platinum-purple highlights, Gin," said a voice from behind the three of them. "They tend to dull when you're PMSing."

"Kei...!" Tora jumped-hugged the violet-eyed vampress. Tora's playful hazel eyes were brimming with happiness.

"Tora, seriously, you are going to kill me fro lack of air!" Kei pried herself free from her friend's vice grip.

"Gommen ne," Tora replied. She tied her silver-blonde hair in a low ponytail.

"Damn, Kei, you could make a day-walker faint with the way you look," said Darien.

Kei wore a dark blue corset top with black straps and black trimmings, a black pinstripe shorts with zippers for pockets. She had a black fingerless glove that reached halfway on her forearm and she wore a pair of black and white converse.

"Oh, stop, Darien," Kei said melodramatically, "you are making me blush."

"We going or not?" asked Gin.

"Duh, but if I get caught--"

"Kei." Gin took her by the shoulders. "You are _the _Kuro Kei. You aren't the type of person who is to be reformed and whipped in less than two weeks. they should have known that you're the girl made-famous by instincts, _not _the roll-over-and-beg kind. Now if you still are the girl we all grew-up with them you'll be going crazy in the car while Tora starts blasting Dir en Grey on the stereo." Gin let go of her.

Kei merely looked down at the ground.

"I guess that's your choice then." Gin walked over and got in the driver's seat of her onyx BMW convertible.

"I call--"

"Shot gun!" Before Darien could finish his sentence, Kei had already taken his spot.

"Nani?!" exclaimed Darien, when he noticed that Kei was sitting in his place.

"Beautiful, but deadly. Learn that well, Seito." Kei placed her hand behind her head, leaning back in the chair.

Tora gave a grin from ear-to-ear and jumped in the back followed by a sulking Darien.

"So what are we waiting for? Let's get the hell out of this dump," said Darien.

"Someone's excited," said Kei.

"Head's up, sun's coming out," said Gin, as she pulled the top up on her car and placed her sunglasses over her garnet eyes. Tora slipped on her's and Darien did the same.

"Kei, you don't need to wear these," stated Gin, as they were heading out of the gates of Cross Academy.

"It looks kinda stupid if I'm the only one without sunglasses," she replied.

"Got a point there, Gin," said Darien.

"Who asked you?" Tora giggled.

Kei rolled her eyes at that. "So when are you two every getting together?" Kei asked.

Gin slammed the breaks upon hearing Kei's "statement". Both she and Kei looked at the two blushing aristocrat vampires.

"What do you mean by that?" Tora said in a tight voice.

"Oh, you know what she means, ne?" Gin stated lowering her sunglasses and winking at the two.

"Shut up, Gin!" Darien said, hotly. His face matching his red t-shirt.

"No need to get so feisty about it, Seito," Kei said, teasing her friend.

"Will you two just shut up in drive?"

"Yosh." Gin sped off.

_**Flashback**_

Where are you off to, Kuro?_ wondered Zero, when he saw Kei running towards the front gate. He noticed that she wasn't in uniform, but rather street clothes._

_"Kiryu, something wrong?" asked the professor._

_"Actually, professor, I need to go see the Headmaster. I have a note saying so." It was a good thing, at times like these, that Zero's forging skills came into play. He stepped out of his seat and descended won the stairs and handed the note to the professor. He skimmed over the note and motioned Zero to go. Zero nodded and left. _Might as well get changed out of this. _He thought._

_**--x--**_

_Zero headed out the doors of the school towards his charcoal-black Ducati motorcycle._

Happy birthday, Zero! _He heard Yuki and Headmaster Cross exclaim in his head. Zero smirked at the recollection. He put on his helmet and swiped the face shield down. He pulled his leather jacket tighter over him, started the rip-snorting engine and was off. Being a vampire hunter, it was easy for him to track down a horde of three elite vampires and an elite vampire hunter turned vampire. It was twice as easy since the essence of his blood was still lingering on _her_ lips._

_**End of flash**_

Zero had been on the road for almost an hour until he stopped at the beach.

_Vampires... at the beach...?_ But, it made a bit of sense because over the whole ride there, the sky had clouded over nicely and appeared as though it was to rain. He parked his motorcycle near one of the wooden posts on the off-road path heading down to the cliffs overlooking the deep green sea. The scenery was breath-taking enough. The dark clouds above ranged from tints of deep green-gray to slightly gray. What little light entered it was a thin beam of warm yellow. The sea, deep, cool and green lapped and tickled the bases of the cliffs then left white foam behind as it receded to continue the cycle. The cliffs, a dark gray rock that went up high with green grass covering it's top. The wind, blowing lazily making the grass and leaves sway lethargically. Zero looked down to see Seito, Midnight and Uchiwa messing around on the beach. But the main question was, _Where's Kei?_

Zero swept his eyes back over towards the cliff. He saw her thin frame walking towards the edge. Kei must have been cold since she had changed out of the shorts into a pair of dark-washed navy jeans and from the corset top into a close fitting black t-shirt with the _Evanescence_ band name etched on it in white.

Zero approached the spot, slowly, making sure not to disturb her. Her dark-silver hair, which was usually in a pony tail, now hung loosely around her.

_She must have cut her hair recently,_ Zero figured, seeing as her hair was now shoulder length instead of down to her waist. The wind blew her hair gently as well as the grass beneath her feet. Zero kept inching towards her gently, the closer he was the more of her he began to take in.

Kei's dark violet eyes looking out to the sea, but it wasn't as though she was just looking at it but rather more as to connecting with it. It was as though she and the scenery had become one. Her hands came out of her pockets and hugged her arms. The wind began to pick-up a bit and made her shiver.

Zero was directly behind her.

**--x--**

Kei brought her arms around herself in order to gain some warmth.

_What I wouldn't give for my black UVERworld sweater,_ she thought. It wasn't cold enough for that, but she longed for it just the same. As though God had heard her, a warm jacket was placed on her shoulders. Kei felt the satisfying feeling of it and pulled it closer to her. The warmth and leather smell of it was just-- Kei snapped open her eyes. "Wait a second..." she whispered. She turned around to be face to face with none other than Kiryu Zero. "What are you doing here?" Kei asked in a hard tone. Her once soft eyes now became just as hard as her tone of voice.

"Following you," Zero said bluntly. "It's against school rules to leave the campus at anytime unless given permission."

"Must you always, come after me?" she said angrily.

"Look, fact is you aren't back at Vera. You can't just go off, Kuro." Zero eyes narrowed. His light-lilac eyes darkening with anger. Kei pushed past him, "I don't need a care taker, especially someone like you."

Zero grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back. "You don't need a care taker, what you need is someone to knock some sense into that empty, thick head of yours!"

Both vampires glared at each other with, biting crimson-red hatred.

"Kei!"

Neither one of them budged. It was like they were reading each other through the other's eyes.

Gin's regular garnet eyes were a bloody red. Tora's hazel eyes were a crimson glow. Darien's eyes were a scarlet blaze and fangs were out. He pushed past Kei back and stepped in between the two vampires.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing here, Kiryu?" he asked in a low dangerous hiss.

"Darien, Gin, Tora, it's all right. Zero's done nothing." Kei's tone was calm, odd sounding to most. "I left the school ground without permission and the male patron of the Disciplinary Committee found me to bring me back."

"We could always make him forget what he saw," offered Tora, with her ability to "tamper" with peoples minds.

"That won't be necessary, Tora," said Kei, still calm as ever.

"But Kei--"

"No!" Kei cut Gin off, her eyes glowing anew; her fangs growing out.

Gin, Tora and Darien took a step back at the sight of their friend. Kei's tensed figure relaxed, "Gommen ne, I don't know what happened there." Kei put her hand on her forehead.

"You sure you're okay, Kei-chan?" asked Tora, putting her hand on Kei's shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fine." she looked up at Gin and Darien, then looked at Tora. "Really."

"Let's get you back to school," said Darien.

"Thanks, but I think I'll hitch a ride with Zero." Zero looked at her as did the other three. "If you don't mind, that is, Kiryu."

Zero raised an eyebrow,_ What the...?_

"Cool with you, Kiryu?" asked Gin.

Zero nodded, simply.

"Well at least it won't take us twice as long to get back to Vera Academy," said Darien. The four said their good-byes and left.

**--x--**

Zero turned to look in Kei's corner of the world. She stood near his Ducati; her dark silver hair swirling around her. She grasped her arms with her hands. Zero's black, leather jacket still hugging her slim figure. Kei's eyes pensative just as on the cliff.

_What other secrets could this beautiful, mysterious girl hide?_ thought Zero._ Wait, what?!_

**--x--**

**Inner Crimson: _So what secrets do these two vamps hold? What did they see in each other's eyes that made Kei's wall dissolve and Zero's mental process chance?_**

**Crimson: that's my job!**

**Zero: yeah, well, you suck at it**

**Crimson: T.T that's cold Zero! -sniff, sniff-**

**Kei: nice going Mr. Sensitivity**

**Yuki: "What other secrets could this beautiful, mysterious girl hide"? -winks and giggle-**

**Zero and Kei: -mad blush-**

**Inner Crimson and Crimson: _REVIEW!!_**


	6. A Deeper Understanding

**i am back. i am happy to say that this story will live on for a good, long while to come! so thank you to everyone that felt that the story deserved to stay floating and not drown. and here is the next chapter of **_**Rebels and Bloody Roses**_**.**

**Inner Crimson: **_**I KNEW CRIMSON WOULD NEVER ABANDON A STORY!!**_

**Zero: it was by peoples vote smart one.**

**Inner Crimson:**_**whatever**_

**Kei: your all's immaturity amazes.**

**Crimson: -sigh- I don't own **_**Vampire Knight**_

**Yuki: be kind interesting if you did though**

**Crimson: that's what i've been saying**

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**A Deeper Understanding**

**Last time: **_**"Zero turned to look in Kei's corner of the world. Her dark, silver hair swirling around her. His black leather jacket still hugging her thin frame. **_**'What other secrets could this mysterious girl hide...?'**_**"**_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_What I saw in his eyes..._

"Kei?" Her thoughts were interrupted upon hearing Zero's voice calling her. Kei turned her line of vision in order to lay her eyes on him.

"What is it?" she asked him.

"Aren't we heading back?"

"Oh, right. Forgot for a moment."

Zero mounted his motorcycle and motioned Kei over to do the same. Kei made her way over to him and climbed on.

"You can hold on to my shoulders or--" Zero was cute off as he felt her arms wrap around his waist.

"you don't mind if I latch on like this, do you?" Kei asked, quietly.

"It's fine," he said in a low tone. _She sounds kinda wiped,_ he thought, driving away and turning into the main road, heading back to Cross Academy.

For the first 15 minutes of the ride back, both teenagers were deadly quiet. In truth, neither one talked that much anyway's.

"Gommen ne... Zero." Zero turned his head ever so slightly to look at the girl behind him. Her dark violet eyes, usually hard and cold, were now warm and had a delicate look to them. Zero looked back at the road.

"What are you sorry about, Kuro?" he asked her, curious as to what the apology was about.

"For acting the ay I have. I've just been so angry all this time. It's like anything I ever had has been ripped away from me. I have nothing left and I will admit that my fury does get the better of me and I do tend to lash out at whoever I have closest," she said quietly.

"What's with the sudden change in heart?" Zero asked Kei.

She was quiet, never a good sign with Kuro Kei. It seemed like something had reached inside and pulled he voice from her and let her mute.

"Kei...?" Zero stiffened a little as he felt Kei bury her face in his shoulder. He relaxed a bit after a while.

"For what I saw in your eyes." Zero heard Kei's voice say.

"What do you mean, Kei?" She pulled her face from his shoulder.

"You know as well as I do that we saw something about the other's past," Kei said her voice its normal tone.

Now it was Zero's turn to remain quiet.

"I know," Zero said after an eternity later. "You had told me before what happened to you... yours was harder to focus on."

"Mine was-- Zero, you're underestimating your own past."

"We can agree on one thing."

"What?"

"We've lost and paid a hefty sum at ages where we still couldn't grasp on to anything fully," Zero said, his voice putting firm emphasis on one another's lives.

Kei looked down for a moment and then smirked. "You do have a point, Kiryu." She looked back up and looked at the passing trees on the sides of the road. "We have both had to endure ghastly and taunting things in our pasts. But we aren't so bad off now, are we?"

It was Zero's turn to smirk. "Not so bad. though I could do without the Headmaster's "My stile cooking"." Kei laughed lightly at that.

**--x--**

It was sunset by the time Kiryu Zero and Kuro Kei arrived back at Cross Academy.

"You think we're late for your Disciplinary Committee duties?" Kei asked Zero. He shut off the engine. "No, the Day Class still has half an hour to go before all the 'kyaa, kyaa, kyaa' starts," Zero rolled his eyes at the though of the screaming fangirls once the Night Class would come out of the Moon Dorm.

Zero and Kei got off the motorcycle and headed over towards theSun Dorm.

"If we switch back into uniforms, maybe no one will suspect anything," said Kei.

"Either that or the Headmaster is just waiting for us inside," said Zero, reluctantly.

Kei took off Zero's jacket and handed it to him.

"Arigatou, Zero." He looked at her and shook his head. "You keep it. Looks like your gonna need it more since it's going to get colder soon. Besides, I'm outgrowing it and it seems to fit you."

Kei took it back, "Thanks, Zero." She slipped the jacket back on.

The two of them didn't even make it up to the second step when they heard a stern voice from behind them.

"Leaving the school grounds is strictly prohibited." They turned around to see Headmaster Cross, his arms folded and a look of utter seriousness on his face. "Kiryu... Kuro."

**--x--**

"How could you both be irresponsible enough to do this?" Cross said, lecturing them both. "Kiryu, you know better being a prefect and all and Kei," He stopped and looked at her directly, "knowing the predicament you are in and you do something like this." The Headmaster sighed and sat down. " I was given strict orders from Kusan that if you were to do something like this to call him immediately for him to come and get you and sending you to finishing school of proper addict and lady-like manners."

Kei looked up at him, her eyes held a bit of shock.

"I guess I have no--"

"Wait." Cross looked at Zero, "What is it, Kiryu-kun?"

"It's not Kei's fault. Kei said that she wasn't feeling well so I decided to take her out of school for a while. Kei needed was to get out for a while. That the stress of her sudden transfer was starting to take it's toll on her. As a member of the Disciplinary Committee, I felt that it was my responsibility to ensure Kei's overall safety.

The Headmaster looked at Zero, directly.

"I've never--" Cross smiled. Kei and Zero looked at him in confusion.

"Well, if that's all there's no further issues then. Just say when something like this happens again before hand, all right Kiryu-kun?" Zero simply nodded. "Gommen ne, Kei-chan." Kei looked at him and nodded.

They both walked out of Cross's office.

**--x--**

Cross watched Zero and Kei's retreating backs. The door closed with a small thud. Cross stood up and looked out the window with his hands, folded, behind his back.

"There's a lot more than meets the eyes when it comes to Kei-chan and Kiryu-kun. They have a deeper understanding about one another now." Cross's eyes followed the two small figures of Kei and Zero. "A lot more."

**--x--**

Kiryu Zero and Kuro Kei ran back into the Sun Dorm. The switch for classes would take place in, roughly, ten minutes.

"You better hurry and get changed Kiryu before the mob of fangirls are unleashed on your ass," Kei said, the last part in a mocking tone.

"Don't push your luck, Kuro," Zero said with a smug smirk. "You wouldn't want your protector to abandon you, now would you?" Kei shoved him as they kept running. They split their separate way as they headed to their rooms. Kei closed the door behind her as she came in.

"Wow, where have you been, Kei?" asked Gichi, when she saw Kei throw herself on the bed.

"Well as you probably know, Gichi, I was out with Tor, Seito and Gin," Kei said, her arm over her eyes.

"Hai," he replied flying out of the closet and onto the pillow Kei had on her stomach.

"Well, Kiryu, somehow, found out I had left the school grounds and followed us all the way to the beach. You know, the one near the Midnight Cottage. He followed us on his Ducati."

"How much trouble are you in for this one?"

"Not there yet, Gichi," Kei said. "Anyway's, like I was saying... Zero found us and gave us and gave me this lecture about leaving the school grounds without permission or some shit like that. I swear that Gin, Darien and Tora were about to rip him to shreds for being there."

"What stopped them?" inquired the small pouch of leather.

"... I did..." Kei said, quietly recalling the moment on the clouded beach.

"Nani?!"

"Yeah, I know. I'm not one stop in the middle of one of Darien's rage attacks, but it was just something that I saw within Zero that just made me realize I was always so pissed at him for no reason behind it." Kei sat up and looked at the little bat. "Gichi, you have to understand that when Zero and I looked into one another's eyes... we saw the moment that made us who we are."

Gichi remained silent at Kei's statement. "You mean to say you saw when the pure blood, Hio Shizuka, killed Zero's family?"

Kei let as much shock as a stoic Kuro heiress's ego would allow. "Hio... Shizuka...? She's the one that killed--"

"Hai." Gichi cut her off, but Kei didn't mind at all.

"I knew I saw a woman, but never could I have imagined that it was Shizuka that did this to Zero." Kei was still quite in a bit of shock upon hearing this bit of information. "Demo, it was her that slaughtered his family." _And turned him into a vampire_, she added mentally.

"Kei." Gichi pulled her back to reality.

"Hn."

"When you came back this morning, after Zero left, what happened?" Kei stiffened a little at Gichi's question.

"Nothing happened, Gichi," she replied.

"You aren't fooling me, Kuro Kei. Kiryu-kun wouldn't just come in here with no reason at hand."

Kei remained silent for a long while, Gichi waiting patiently for an answer.

"I... had a little accident," Kei said, her face turned away from the bat.

"What do you mean... by..." Then, Gichi realized what Kei meant by "accident". "Oh, Kei, for the love of Kami-sama please, please, **please**, tell me you didn't do it!"

Kei looked back at him and nodded.

"Kei! How could you?!"

"Gommen na sai! But I couldn't help it! I tried to get away from him, but..." she sighed deeply. "He came to close."

"Bet they're gonna move you to the Night Class, huh?" Gichi said, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"No, I won't be," she said.

"What makes you so sure?"

Kei smirked, "Zero didn't tell Cross about the accident."

Gichi sighed a sigh of relief. "Kiryu just saved your life."

"I guess he kind of did," said Kei.

"So what's on for tonight's schedule?" asked Gichi.

"Ugh, tired. Since I didn't get zero sleep last night, nor all day... all I need is some sleep," Kei said, laying back down.

"In that case I'll just go out hunting. See you in the morning then, Kei." The little bat headed out the window. "Ja ne!"

"Ja ne," Kei replied. Kei reached over to her bed-side table, opened the drawer and pulled out a small box.

_I wonder what would happen now that I have been exposed to real blood and now, try to swallow one of these?_ Kei's mind began to linger on the subject. She took the blood tablet and swallowed it, along with a deep drink of water. Kei made a slight gagging sound as the mixture slugged down her throat, distastefully. Kei stood up, collected her bathroom articles, and headed to the Headmasters's private bathroom. It was past nine so the dorm bathrooms were out of the question. She shed her clothes, placing them in the hamper, went into the lavished shower place and let the hot water hit her skin. The water ran through her dark silver hair, down her shoulders, running cruelly over the three, pink scars on her back.

_Aido, Kain... you two shall pay for those scars upon my back. It'll only be a matter of time._

**--x--**

Yuki stood, giving Zero a menacing stare.

"What?" Zero asked in a apathetic tone.

"Where the hell when you been all day and why are you late now?!" Yuki asked in an angered tone.

"I had to do something." He noticed Yuki's 'tell-me-now' look. "It was a private matter, Yuki. You need not know what's happened." Zero turned to patrol the other side of the grounds. He felt a tug on his sleeve.

"Zero, whatever it is... you know you can tell me, right?" Yuki looked up at him and gave him a soft smile.

"I know, Yuki." Before Yuki could do anything else, Zero had already gone.

_I know, Yuki..._ it rung clearly in her ears. Despite all of the things that had happened between herself and Zero, Yuki couldn't help but feel that the gap of untold things was beginning to get bigger. The thing you must know about Cross Yuki, is that she can be very, very persistent at times.

Yuki didn't know exactly why, but she felt that the only person that could help her, at that moment, would be Cross Academy's most recent addition to the family.

"Kuro Kei..." Yuki's voice at a whispering tone that could only be thought of being the wind.

**--x--**

The sound of running, pounding feet on a hardwood floor, sink water running and a chocking/coughing sound would be all that someone in said young girl's position. Kei opened the keys more so more water would come out, as she doused her face with there mercilessly, cold water. Kei sucked in air, hard, but she felt beyond belief sick. The more she tried to calm herself the more she--

_**BLERGH**_

Kei made a quick spring and emptied all the contents of her stomach in the toilet. After she had calmed, Kei dared to look in the mirror. Her face covered in sweat, her dark silver her sticking to her face. Kei's eyes, a bloody crimson color.

"Why...?"

**--x--**

**Kei and Zero now know about one another's inner turmoils, but will this realization lead to an alliagnce or downfall? What of Kei's sudden illness?**

**Inner Crimson: _ummm... everyone else went out for coffee, but since Crimson says I'm not allowed to have caffine, I had to stay here. uhh... so... anyway's. Review...!_ -starts to listen to to "Still Doll" on her zune-**


	7. Night's Last Light

**konichiwa! Crimson here! and i am back for another chapter of **_**Rebels and Bloody Roses. **_**and i'm glad to see that many of you liked the previous chapter, "A Deeper Understanding". Gommen na sai to all that read this story and to those that have just arrived. I know I haven't been here in a million years but it's been hard. But good news, I finished my **_**Naruto**_** fic which means, I'll be free more often. And I wasn't here also because I was reading **_**Breaking Dawn**_**. That book was the shit! It totally rocked. And, without further ado, here is the next chapter of **_**Rebels and Bloody Roses.**_

**Kei: seriously, what takes so long for one stinkin' chapter to be added? it ain't that hard.**

**Crimson: Oh sure, you say that since you aren't the one that has to write and type it all! Considering each chapter is over ten pages in my composition journal! So that's a lot!**

**Yuki: You write then type?  
Inner Crimson: **_**Yuki, you don't expect her to forget her inspiration do you? She has to write it otherwise it won't turn out all right**_

**-everyone continues the "discussion"-**

**Zero: -sweatdrop- Crimson doesn't own **_**Vampire Knight**_**. I thank God constantly that she doesn't**

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**Night's Last Light**

**Last time: **_**'Her face, covered in sweat. Her dark silver hair, sticking to her forehead. Kei's eyes a bloody crimson color. "Why...?"'**_

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Kei closed the lid of the toilet and leaned on it as it flushed. The coolness of the lid felt good on her hot cheek.

_Ugh... this is rough and disgusting._ Kei wallowed mentally. She heard a knock on the door; it made her jump and just enough to hit her head on the shelf above the toilet. She let out a small whine as she rubbed the soft spot on her head. The knock was sharper the second time.

"Nani?!" Kei said, tone of frustration, evident, in her voice.

"Need the shower, out." Kei recognized the voice automatically. It was a sound that would be with her beyond the day she died.

"It won't kill you if you wait, about... what... ten minutes? I mean--"

"Kuro Kei, get out now!"

"Shut the fuck up, Zero! I-- Shit!" Kei didn't even finish her sentence as she quickly lifted the lid of the toilet and puked all over again.

**--x--**

Zero automatically recognized the sound when Kei had cut off her speech so abruptly.

"Kei," he began to bang on the door, hard, "open the door!" Zero knew that she would choke up if he didn't get to her at that moment. He kicked the door open and saw said teenaged vampress slumped over the toilet, dispersing anything that was left in her system. Zero kneeled beside her and placed his hand on her back, supporting her. Kei stiffened under his touch. She was breathing hard after the ordeal had finally passed. The usual bitter strain of tears came from her eyes. They usually came involuntarily when pressure of this kind was upon her. Zero moved aside as she leaned, with her back, against the toilet. She closed the like and flushed it. Zero's back was resting against the wall opposite to her.

"Water?" he offered her knowing she might be a bit dehydrated after that situation. That's how he got at times as well. Kei simply nodded. Zero opened the cabinet door under the sink and pulled out a water bottle. He handed it to her. Kei whispered a 'thank you' and drank, shakily. She had a hard time keeping steady, but she managed it well enough. A while past as the two, young vampires found themselves in silence, once again.

"Feel any better?" Zero broke the silence with his question.

"Aa," Kei replied taking another drink of water. She stood up and looked down at him. "I'm guessing I should be leaving now, seeing as you need the shower place and all." she headed towards the door and looked back.

Zero turned and saw she was still there, standing in the door way.

"Arigatou, Kiryu," Kei said quietly.

"You're welcome," Zero replied his eyes down cast. Kei left and closed the door behind her and leaned against the closed door. _Damn,_ she thought,_ looks like all those vampire hunting training session paid, ne, Zero._

Zero had a well sculpted figure. He had the slim look down, but he had well toned muscles. Not bulky, though. The figure a girl would go gaga over in simpler words. Had Kei been a giggly fan girl, she would have surely fainted.

Kei's mind lingered on Zero, until she mentally slapped herself, that is. _Damn it, Kei! Stop thinking like that!_ She headed back to her dorm room. On her bed rested a small, long, velvet box. She raised an eyebrow and walked over and picked it up. Kei undid the string fastened the lid on it. Inside was a perfect, beautiful, black-red rose. She took out the delicate rose, minding the thorns, and looked at it, wondering who could have sent to her.

**--x--**

Kei placed the delicate rose in a crystal clear vase that Yuuki had give her as a gift or making it through her first month at Cross Academy. Kei covered herself with the warm, dark blue sheets. She took the card from the night table (where her rose also dwelled) and read it again.

'To my immortal.'

Kei didn't have a clue to whoever wrote it or who had sent her the black-red rose. Whoever it was... they knew of her "condition" which began to worry her... a lot. If word got out about her... she shuddered at the thought. Her doubts were swallowed by fatigue and she soon went into a dreamless slumber.

**--x--**

Ichijou Takuma wasn't paying much attention to what the professor was explaining about the night's lecture. His mind was somewhere distant. As the rest of the class, but, what else was new?

"All right... take a short recess and we'll pick-up afterward on the First Victorian Vampires' War," announced the professor as he stood up from behind the desk and strode out of the room. **(A.N. And yes I did just come up with that randomly about the war).**

The Night Class proceeded to talk silently amongst themselves.

"Ichijou, you seem particularly quiet tonight," Kaname's voice pulled Takuma from his hanging thought(s).

"Hmm...?" he turned to look at the pure-blood vampire.

"Your body's present here, but your mind is somewhere entirely different."

"I guess I just haven't been getting enough sleep during the day or something like that," replied Takuma.

"... Something like that..." responded Kaname mechanically.

"You might want to lay off a bit on the manga in that case, Ichijou-senpai," Aidou said sitting a distance from Kuran and Takuma.

Takuma gave him a small smirk. "Maybe... but that'll be hard." Aidou smiled and to looked to where his cousin was.

Ruka, was as usual, yelling at Akatsuki for creating revolving spheres of flames that were encircling her in tight, dizzy loops. This was usually his way to show that he was desperately bored. Takuma laughed, lightly, at the scene playing out in front of him.

He looked out at the window, looked at the almost-full moon with a hardening expression on his fair face.

"Time is creeping closer... and I dread to imagine what the worst case out come is of all of this..." Ichijou Takuma looked away from the window, his eyes surveilling the room with a crimson glow.

_**-The Next Morning-**_

"Kei! Kei! KEI!"

Kei fell out of her bed as the loud incessant knocking and yelling of her name continued. She stumbled over to the door and opened it; Cross Yuuki standing before her.

"Yuuki-san... daijoubou? It's barely 4 in the A.M. so it's odd for you to knock--"

"I'm fine. Something's wrong with Zero!" Yuuki cried.

"Nani? Do you know what happened to him?"

Hand it to Kuro Kei to be calm even when it means the world might collapse upon itself.

"He's in his room. Last night he said he didn't feel well so I sent him to his room. (That was around three). I got worried and went to go check on him a while ago. When I went to his room, he was trembling and sweating, heavily. But he's unconscious. I tried to wake him up, bring him back and see if he would regain consciousness in the least bit. No matter what I did he wouldn't come to."

Kei was silent for a brief moment.

"Yosh, Yuuki-san," she spoke at last, "we need to get Zero, immediate, care. We need any medical supplies that are available and if they aren't find a way to get to them. Whatever it takes."

"I'll go get them from the infirmary." Yuuki dashed off.

"Matte, Yuuki!"

"Nani?"

"Bring any antibiotics, antitoxins, and anything else that flushes out toxins and foreign contaminates from the body," Kei directed as she pulled herself up and threw on her sweater.

"Why would you need things like that?" Yuki asked now becoming anxious.

"I think Zero's been poisoned or has been infected with something that will end fatally if I don't get to him soon." Before Yuuki could as Kei anything else she was already gone and heading down to Zero's room.

**--x--**

A thin film of cold sweat covered Zero's body. The small shakes had taken over his frame as though a case of hypothermia had set into his once calm figure. Zero let out a groan as another wave nausea and hot agony ripped through his chest. His eyes were a dull or even close to dead lilac. His light silver hair clung to his sweat-drenched forehead. Zero's skin paled many levels.

_How much longer... am I going to suffer...?_ His own exasperation was weakening him. _I can't... no... I..._ The young hunter's eyes began to close from the great physical fatigue.

"Don't you dare give up that easily, Kiryu."

Zero opened his eyes and turned his line of vision to see where stern command had come from. Zero slowly and agonizingly sat up. He winced as hot pain ripped through him once more. Kuro Kei stood in the door way; her expression serious.

"What are you doing here?" Zero asked, his tone quiet. Kei sighed but said nothing else, she simply walked over to Zero took his wrist. Zero jerked it back. "What are you doing here?" he asked-- demanded once again.

Kei sighed and sat next to him. "Yuuki was trying to knock down the door and was calling-- hollering my name. She wouldn't stop till I opened the door." Kei was surprised when Zero out stretched his out to her. Kei looked up at him. Zero tilted his in order to look at her. "Continue," he said simply. Kei noticed as Zero grinded his teeth in rising pain discomfort.

As she continued speaking, she began to check Zero out to see what was going on with him. "Anyway's Yuuki was in hysterics, trying to explain to me that something was wrong with you. She said that you weren't feeling well during patrol, so she sent you to your room. She came to check on you, but you were unconscious and unresponsive. I figured something must have knocked you out and seeing that you were about to fall back into the black abyss I had to keep you from doing so." Zero flinched as Kei's fingers passed a tender are on his right side, on the rib cage.

The flinched didn't go unnoticed. Kei slipped on a pair of gloves and looked closer at the are where Zero showed signs of tenderness. She saw a long jagged cuts along his side. "How did you get this?" she asked absentmindedly.

"Dunno." Zero winced in pain as she ran a clean cloth on it.

"They look like... claw marks...?" Kei was suddenly interested in what happened.

"I'm guessing it must have been when that prick Kaname was pissed and took a shot at me. I thought he had missed."

"Looks like he didn't... oh shit...!"

"Nani?"

Kei looked up at him, "The reason why your like this is because an infection has set in," Kei's tone was grave.

Zero hissed in pain as the liquid stung the open wounds.

"That's just to clean and cure it," Kei explained to him. She opened the first-aid box once more and took out a clean syringe and needle and a clear glass bottle.

"What is that?" Zero's was starting to sound weaker and more frail.

"It's to kill whatever virus is causing the infection." Kei finished loading the syringe. She gently cleaned the area where the needle would go through. "Just to give you a fair warning, Zero," she looked up at him. Light lilac met dark violet, "this will seem like I'm injecting you with hot and heavy lead. So it will hurt like shit on impact. Okay?"

"It's fine." Kei placed her left hand on the bed near Zero's injured side and the injection went in.

Zero gritted his teeth and a low and dangerous hiss escaped. Before he had time to realize it, he felt Kei's warm hand in his cold clammy one. Her own muscles tensed, but she wouldn't allow herself the pleasure of losing focus of what she was doing. It wasn't like she had planned for her own persona to react like that. Kei's mind drifted to when she had the same injection slammed into her system all she could do was hold on tightly to Gin's hand and remember that Darien and Tora where there as well. Her hand slipped into Zero's almost like a reassurance that she wouldn't let him die and a way for him to put his trust in her. For Zero, pain was something that was never really a bother for him. The exception...? Having hot lead being poured into your veins.

"Just hold on a little while longer I'm almost done." Kei tried to soothe Zero, knowing the pain was he going through. Though, to Zero, it sounded like she was telling herself more than she was for his own sake. Just looking at his expression and seeing him like this was almost to much for Kei to bare. The look of pain and agony reminded her of the night she lost her brother, Ronin.

"Mata otashi kokoro ga sakete nagarederu," she said to herslef softly to herself.

Zero and Kei had death-grips going on between each other's hands and only squeezed harder when the needle was pulled out. Kei quickly put gauze on the area, after cleaning the spot, further.

"Zero... Zero... Zero..."

"..."

"You can let the circulation in my hand continue now," Kei said with a smirk at Zero's realization that he still had her hand in a vice grip. Zero let her hand go. "Gommen, Kei."

She merely shook her head. "Can you sit up?" she asked pulling out a small roll of white bandages.

"Maybe." Zero slowly began to sit up. Kei adjusted the pillows so he would be able to rest against them. The female vampire began to wrap the bandages securely around Zero's abdomen.

_For someone as cold, reclusive, and strong as Kei, it's hard to believe she can work with such patience like this,_ thought Zero. "So where did you pick up the trade of doctor?" Zero asked, a slight smirk playing on his lips.

Kei looked up at him with a smug look on her face. "When I was little, my clan didn't really believe that woman could really become vampire hunters so we learned medical skills instead. You know, for when the men would come home wounded and such. My father was the same."

"What changed to let them allow you to fight?"

Kei smirked. "When my father saw me sparing with Ronin, my older brother. He saw the way I would handle the staff. Obviously, my brother wouldn't give me a blade so the staff was the next best thing in the book. My father thought that my ferocity, strategy, and deceitfulness was quite intriguing, so, he decided to put my skills to the test. I was trained and when I had matured enough, I was taken to hunt. I picked up on it rather fast. It was like second nature to me at that point. I didn't have to think about it. The feeling of the gun, staffs, blades... oh God, the katanas we had. I still have mine."

"Must have been hard to be the first female huntress," Zero said thinking about her story in depth.

"It was. Girls would make fun of me. Jealousy is what drove them. Why? because I was the only girl that got to hang out with some of the most desirable guys on the hunting division. Some guys would tease me about how weird that a girl strong enough existed to endure the bone-numbing training. They weren't laughing once a I throw a knife at them and managed to slice with thin hair."

Zero digested the information and a question surfaced to the top of his mind. "What was the katana called that you use?"

Kei laughed lightly. "Thought you'd never ask, baka." She didn't mean the last part on the offensive side. "It's the _Iris Blade._ Named mostly because the one that used it was the founder of my clan. Oddly enough, our great founder's name was Mamaruo Ayame."

"But if they didn't allow woman than how did Ayame become the founder?"

"You see, a couple of generations later. The girls weren't proving as strong as they should have been and were getting injured. Minor, serious, fatal, or sometimes, died in the midst of battle an instant. That's why the Elders of the Kuro Vampire Hunting Clan prohibited woman from going in training."

"Until you, that is." Zero smirked at the idea of the Kuro's turning inside-out when they had discovered a girl strong and fierce enough to become a warrior.

"Yeah, though not many liked the idea of a girl being allowed on the hunter's division. But my father always had a talent on getting people to see things his way. If you catch my drift."

Kei and Zero laughed lightly.

The door slammed open. Cross Yuuki stood in the door way out of breath.

"Oh my God, Zero!" Yuuki ran and hugged Zero tightly. "I'm glad you're okay now!"

"Yuuki," Zero said thickly.

"Nani?"

"Get of me... you aren't making the pain any better."

"Eh? Gommen na sai, Zero." Yuuki pulled herself back, a slight blush on her face.

"What was wrong with him?" Yuuki asked Kei.

"Infected wounds," Kei said nonchalantly.

"How?" Yuuki asked, eyes filled with concern for the vampire laying/sitting up on the bed.

Kei was going to tell her, but Zero put his hand on her shoulder. "Dunno how it happened. All I know is that, from what Kei explained, the cuts were infected and that's why I became sick."

Yuuki was quiet for a while trying to process what Zero had just told her.

"Well, I better be off in this case..." Kei's voice trailed off as she began to collect her supplies. "Get plenty of rest, Kiryu." She was about to grab the doorknob. Something made her hand tremble, her black nails stark against the pure white door. Kei felt the atmosphere shift, she felt it's pressure wedge a fist-sized lump in her throat she couldn't swallow. She turned to look at Zero and Yuuki. She had to say something to check if her assumption was correct. "Zero... you're off Disciplinary Committee duty until further notice."

"But I can't handle the entire Day Class on my own! I'll be killed!" exclaimed Yuuki.

The same agonizing ripple shot through Kei and Zero. Zero's heart gave a jolt, his breath snagged in his throat. Kei looked directly at him this time. The taunting hunger in his eye was evident.

_Zero needs blood now. But I can't do anything, not unless I want Yuuki to find out._ Kei tried to figure out away to get blood to Zero without Yuuki figuring out anything. Otherwise Zero and her covers were blown.

"Zero, are you, by any chance, hungry?" Kei's voice sounded a little tight. The lump in her throat was letting up anytime soon.

Zero nodded at her question.

Yuuki could see the hunger in his eyes as well. Both girls trying to find a way to get blood to the young vampire/human hybrid before them.

_If something doesn't happen soon... Zero will lose it completely! _Yuuki finished both of the young girl's thoughts.

Zero's heart thudded against his chest, threatening to come out. The monster was starting to become restless and thirstier by the seconds.

"Kei, you should go put the first-aid supplies back to the infirmary before someone notices the stuffs missing," Yuuki said, as she sat down next to Zero.

"Yuuki maybe you should take the supplies back. I don't know where it all goes," Kei stated simply, as she walked back over the where Cross and Kiryu were.

"It's all right, Kei, you can just leave it on the desk. No one will mind." Yuuki began to slip out of her school uniform's jacket.

"I wouldn't want things to be left in dismay and have you blamed, Yuuki-san." Kei slipped out of her white sweater, revealing her black tank top.

"Kei--"

"Yuuki-- look out!" Kei shoved Yuuki out of the way. Zero had Kei pinned to the wall.

"Damn... both of you _(huff) (huff) _Yuuki _(huff)_ and you, Kuro... _(huff)_."

"Zero YAMETE!!" exclaimed Yuuki.

"Gommen ne... Zero..." Kei said. "Gommen na sai, Yuuki-san." Kei raised her head; her eyes a deadly crimson-bloody red. A snarl raised from her throat. Kei shoved Zero back with powerful force that he almost crashed into the wall on the other side of the room.

Yuuki looked at the both of them in horror.

Zero's fangs came through the parting of his lips. To Yuuki's relief, they weren't stained scarlet. She turned to Kei and nearly yelped at the sight.

Kei's eyes now an absolute blood-red glow. Her entire form, rigid, and in a position that she was ready to kill whoever got in her way. But what scared Yuuki the most were the two, dagger-like fangs that had grown out of her mouth. Both vampires hissed in fury.

_I have to stop them!_ Zero and Kei launched themselves at one another.

Yuuki ran to stop them from colliding and the fight ending fatally. "YAMETE!!"

Crimson tears stained the floor.

**--x--**

**So there's the latest installment of this story. Took a me a while to write and even longer to type. X.x**

**A battle, heated, between two vampires (vampire hunters)... who will win? Who will perish? Who's blood shall pay the price?**

**Kei: now that's some scary shit right there.**

**Yuuki: Y-yosh**

**Zero: Inner Crimson... daijoubou?**

**Inner Crimson: _H-h- hai-i_ -snapped the pencil in half that she had been playing with-**

**Crimson: Yosh...**

**Kei and Yuuki: Review!**

**Inner Crimson: _i'm in my happy place... I'm in my happy place!!_**

**Zero: why does your happy place involve Uchiha Sasuke, Kaitou Dark, Lelouch Lamperouge and me... in a hot spring?**

**Inner Crimson: _and now Kiryu Zero drowns in my happy place for asking stupid questions_**

**Yuuki: O.O**

**Kei: -.-**

**Crimson: O.o;**


	8. Whisper

**Konichiwa my dearly beloved public. okay... i know it'll be a fuckin miracle if i still do have anyone that still reads this story considering i've been in a coma for so long! i seriously apologize for that. people are right when they say sophomore year is the hardest fuckin year of high school. teachers got me working to the bone since day one. plz take mercy upon me when i say that i am truly sorry for not being here for so long!!! but i promise i'll try and get better at it. it's also been hard to get back to this story since i started writing my first book recently. hopefully i'll be able to balance both out now that i have been having more free time. so... without any more delay here's the latest installment of **_**Rebels and Bloody Roses.**_

**Kei: Gawd!! How fuckin long has it been?!**

**Yuuki: Language much?**

**Inner Crimson: **_**It's been hard for Crimson guys... you know how life sucks that way**_

**Crimson: Thank you Inner Me.**

**Zero: Yeah, but we're finally having a come back now.**

**Yuuki: How about signing us on, Zero-kun**

**Zero: Hn, Crimson doesn't **_**Vampire Knight, **_**Hino Matsuri-sama does. **

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Whisper**

**Last time: **_**'Zero and Kei launched themselves at one another. Yuuki went to stop them. "Yamete!" Crimson tears stained the floor...'**_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Kei winced in pain slightly. She turned to look over her shoulder. "You okay... Yuuki-san?"

Yuuki got up from the floor, where she was shoved. "I'm all right." Yuuki stood up to full height and looked at Kei. "Kei, you're bleeding!"

Kei's shirt was soaked with the crimson liquid. A long jagged cut started from just below her left breast down just past her navel.

Kei winced as she stood up right. "Don't worry about it, Yuuki-san. I'll be fine." Kei slowly made her way towards Zero, who was now standing up as well. His eyes were back to lilac, but his fangs had not receded yet. Neither were Kei's.

"Yuuki, Kei... gommen ne...." Kei raised her hand to silence him. "Zero... you're not the only vampire that has lost their fury. Trust me when I tell you that."

Yuuki walked over to the two.

"I'm sorry that you had to find out this way about what Zero and I truly are Yuuki-san."

Yuuki giggled slightly.

"What's so funny?" Kei's tone, irritation. The fact that two vampires just went at it in front of her and she was laughing?

"I already knew about Zero." Kei's jaw hit the floor. "That's why I was trying to get you to leave the room."

Kei shook her head in disbelief. "And to believe I was trying to get you out so you wouldn't get hurt."

Kei doubled over in pain; her rapid pulse causing more blood to ooze from the wound.

"Kei!" Yuuki kneeled next to her. "She's lost a lot of blood, which means her vampire side's lust for blood will take over her pretty quickly."

Zero felt Kei jolt as his hand went to the base of her neck. Kei looked into Zero's eyes; crimson with thirst, but alert with her initial fright. It only reminded him of how he had been suffering when the Level E in him almost took over him in the dungeon where Cross Kaien and Toga Yagari had him chained. Had it not for the blood of Kaname and Shizuka, who knows what would have happened.

"Yuuki, get out," Zero stated, bluntly.

"Doshde--" Zero gave her a stern look. Yuuki gasped slightly at the intensity of his stare. "Please, Yuuki. The last thing I need is for you to get hurt, as well." Yuuki nodded, understanding what Zero was about to do. She left without another word.

**--x--**

Zero watched as Yuuki left the room and the door closed shut. Zero got up and locked the door in order to make sure that no one would enter while the forbidden act took place. Zero turned his attention to the young woman, crumpled and bleeding on the floor. He gently took her in his arms and placed her on his bed. The white sheets now stained scarlet. But that was one of the last things on Zero's mind, seeing as to whether Kei would pull out of the fix she stuck herself into this round. Zero made a clear cut through Kei's black top which was now soaked with her crimson blood.

Kei felt her cheeks warm as she felt Zero's cool fingers trace near the long scar. "Ze-Z-Zero... wh-what are you doing?" Kei cleared her throat a little.

That's when the sight and smell of Kei's blood became too much for the male vampire hybrid. Zero's smooth, warm tongue glided, gently, over the long jagged scar. Zero had to basically crown on Kei's thin frame to reach the rich, sweet substance.

Kei blushed a little deeper as she felt his tongue on the area around her navel and the rest of her abdomen. "Z-Ze-Zero," Kei's voice was weak and choppy. Her face went into an even deeper shade of crimson as Zero's tongue began to trail up her body, slowly. Shall I dare say, almost... enticingly?

Before Kei even realized it, she let out a moan of pleasure. _What the fuck was that?!_ Kei yelled mentally.

Zero looked up into her eyes. His fangs had finally receded; Kei's refused. Zero sat up pulling her up as well. "That should keep the wound from bleeding again... while we do this," Zero stated.

Kei went wide-eyed for a moment. Then she let the sick thought exit her mind.

"I'm not one to ever do this," Zero explained.

"What...? Offering yourself to a vampire?" Kei's tone teasing.

"Don't make me regret this, Kuro." Kei nodded once.

Zero sat perfectly still as Kei began to close-in on him. Her face was now near the base of his neck, so she could drink easily. Kei, gingerly, placed a kiss at the nape of Zero's neck. Her tongue gave one glide against his warm skin. The very smell, essence that was coming off Zero's skin became absolutely maddening to Kei. She murmured a 'thank you' and her two, gleaming, sharp fangs plunged into Zero's neck. The sweet, sweet crimson nectar filled and heated her frozen veins.

Zero closed his lilac and began to hold her closer to him. A low growl rumbled through his throat.

Kei pulled her fangs out from Zero's neck. She looked up at him, after she had wiped the excess blood off of her mouth. Zero's light lilac eye were soft and very soulful to Kei. Kei's dark violet eyes were melted pieces of precious amethysts to Zero. They looked tired, yet welcoming at the same time. They breathed and began to relax, they smiled at one another. A knock on the door broke their moment of peace.

"No one knows about this," Kei said, a bit out of breath.

"Agreed. Plus, no one will ever figure out the truth on what you really are."

_Except one prick, that is. _Both vampire hybrids added mentally.

**--x--**

"Well, looks like Kuro-san really does have a reason to have been hiding for so long," Kaname said as he caught a whiff of her blood. He knew that there was a deep meaning to it and the vampiress.

Takuma didn't look up. An elixir of emotions were running through him.

"It is hard for you to forget the pain, isn't it, Takuma." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

Takuma smirked, his emerald eyes on his best friend. "There are something's that I hate myself for remembering. At the same time, I can't force myself to forget... some of the tiny silver lining moments in so many broken dreams."

Kaname's expression hardened a little, as Takuma explained things. "I better go finish the report for the Council." Kaname began to rise from the chair at the table in Ichijou's place. Takuma nodded recognizing Kaname's declaration. Kaname left; it was plain to him that Takuma's reminiscing was all he needed to do right now.

Takuma sat on the window sill and watched the rain splat against the window. "I wonder what is to happen now between us... my amarante." Takuma shook away his absurd thoughts. He looked back at the moon. "It won't be long now."

The moon was beginning to have an eerie red, shadowy silk drape over it.

--x--

"The vice president's locked himself away again?" Ruka said, breaking the silence in the foyer. Everyone was in their nightwear. Though in the Night Class's case, day wear.

Kaname sighed. He was not one to worry, but he was concerned about his friend.

"Any idea why he might be like this way, Kaname-sama?" asked Shiki Senrei.

Kaname's eyes were turned downcast.

"Shiki?..." Rima's eyes went to the young, red-head vampire. "Ichijou-san desires only to be on his own for a while. He seems fine, but, eternally wise, there is a conflict going on within him." Shiki stood next to Toya.

Aidou wasn't really paying attention to the group's discussion. He let the blood tablet water mixture drip to the glossy table top. His thoughts on a certain Day Class girl. _Kuro Kei..._ Aidou snapped his head up, which caused the liquid to spill on the table.

_**'Takuma, what are you watching so intently?' asked Aidou.**_

_**Takuma tore his eyes away from whatever he had been staring at.**_

_**'Nothing, Hanabasu.' Takuma gave him one of his famed smiles and went back to taking notes from Toga's lecture. **_

_**Aidou looked through the window. Sitting at the fountain was Kuro Kei. The moon was hitting her in a way that it made her dark silver hair glow eerily and spell-bounding. **_

_**Egypt...**_

_Egypt! But it couldn't be over someone like her...! Or, could it be?_The water on the table now froze into bright red crystal. Aidou gritted his teeth in fury. _Well, let your viper's heart ensnare someone else, Kuro, since your heart won't be beating for too long, _thought Aidou angrily. He licked his fangs appreciatively. "Akatsuki," Aidou called his cousin's name as he stood from the cherry wood desk.

"What, Hanabasu?"

"I need to borrow your face for a moment." Kain shrugged and followed his cousin.

_Kuro will pay for all of her sins._ Aidou recalled the old wounds caused by the young huntress.

**-Twilight-**

"Kei, will you hurry up." Yuuki checked her watch for the 50th time in about the last, oh, I don't know, three minutes.

"Hey! this was your fucked up idea, Yuuki! You can wait a couple more minutes!" Kei exclaimed from inside the bathroom.

Yuuki sighed. What had possessed her to make Kei do this?

"Yuuki! Where's the--"

"Near the sink," Yuuki replied, "and don't worry about how it looks, it's never worn right anyway's."

"I thank God for that!" _How the hell did I ever agree to this?!_ Kei screamed mentally at herself. _Damn Yuuki for her "motivational" skills, as she _loves_ to put it!_

"Kei... you do realize you have to cut--"

"HELL NO!"

"You know as well as I that isn't that long. And if you want to makes this work then you have to--"

"Shut up already! Fine!" Small pieces of silver began to fall to the floor. Kei ran a bit of mousse through her hair.

"Don't forget the lens," Yuuki said from the other side of the door.

"Lens are only going to irritate me, Yuuki," Kei stated.

"You know they aren't dark."

"Ugh... fine... whatever...! Have it your way, Yuuki," Kei groaned as she slipped in the little lenses. "You know I'm not returning theses earrings, I'm keeping them," Kei said.

"Good thing you bought the exact ones then." Yuuki sweat-dropped at this point. "Night Class starts in 15 minutes."

"Yosh. Okay, done." Kei opened the door slowly, until it was fully open.

Yuuki couldn't help but smile. Kei looked like an exact replica of Kiryu Zero. Short silver hair, beautiful light lilac eyes, fang earrings and the guys' uniform. It helped that all the bandages that Kei had to wear, on account of her injury, hid the fact that she had a chest. Kei had to put in lifts to pull off Zero's height as well.

"Wow, if I didn't know any better, I could mistake you for Zero," said Yuuki.

"Whatever, can we go now?" Kei's "inner Zero" starting to shine through.

"Sure just-- damn!" exclaimed Yuuki.

"Nani?" asked Kei/Zero.

"We forgot Zero's tattoo." Yuuki pushed Kei back into the bathroom.

"Oh, yeah."

It took Yuuki about ten minutes to get it right.

"You scratched me on the last one, Yuuki," said Kei.

"Gommen gommen." Kei and Yuuki ran down for patrol duties. "Made it _(huff)_ and just in _(huff, huff)_ time," Yuuki breathed.

"_(huff)_ Yeah," replied "Zero".

The gates swung open and out came the Night Class. The squeals of the girls could be heard all the way at Vera Academy.

"Welcome to the Disciplinary Committee Duty," whispered Yuuki.

"Thanks," the vampire hybrid grumbled.

A Day Class girl tried, quietly, to get passed Yuuki and Kei.

"One more step past me... and I'll make you cry," Kei said in a dangerous, low tone.

The girl began to tremble in fear of the dark aura coming of the silver haired prefect. "You're so mean, Kiryu," exclaimed one of the girls. "Lighten up, why don't you?" called another.

"Zero" turned to face them all. They all shrunk back under his glare. "Look, I'm not in the damn mood to be dealing with your pathetic, fan-girly, attitudes tonight. Anyone has a problem with that?"

They all remained silent; fear had taken over them.

_Oh, great,_ thought Yuuki, _with Kei here, it's like Zero never left. _

Kuran Kaname went passed Yuuki; he smiled at her. Yuuki blushed a little and bowed. Kaname neared Zero and stopped. "How are you, Kiryu?"

"Fine," Kei replied apathetically. Being Zero was easier then she had thought previously.

Kaname nodded, but came closer to her. "Give my best wishes to Kiryu, Kei-san."

Kei hadn't been surprised. She knew out of the whole Night Class, Kuran-teme would have known first.

"As you wish... Kaname." She glared right into his eyes; she didn't feel any fear towards him like so many others did. Kei hated him with every fiber of her being at the moment, for what his crime and, something else. She didn't know why but there was something that gave her a disgusted feeling of the pureblood vampire. Like something that was lost in the past or something. She could never quite figure it out. Kei's hand touched Zero's _Bloody Rose_ gun from under her jacket.

**-Two Nights Later- (Night of the Lunar Eclipse)**

A knock was heard on Kiryu's door. "It's open," he said sitting up.

"Hey, Zero. Bandage change time," Kei said, holding up a roll of white bandages.

Zero smirked at her; she could be very spirited when in reclusion. For what he had learned about his partner, Kuro Kei was never one to let anyone or anything. Only Gin had the privilege to know almost every aspect to the girl behind the mask. Zero wondered at times what had truly happened to her that even kept Kei a little distant. Then again, he was to talk considering the second he walked into a room every back would stiffen and breath would be hitched from the seeming 'dark aura' the 17-year-old hybrid gave off. But, thanks to the injuries they both had received, they now were both entitled to get to know the other a little better. Emphasis a little better, they weren't about to spill their guts out on the other. Nowhere near the style they both had built.

"You are so childish at times, Kei," Zero said.

"And you have a stick up your ass at times if not always, Zero," Kei retorted.

Okay, saying that they were getting a long wasn't the best choice of words, but at least they weren't going against each other with _Bloody Rose_ and _Iris Blade_ in hand.

Kei kneeled in front of Zero on the bed. "The sooner you take off your shirt the sooner--"

"You can put it on," said Zero with a smug look adorning his face.

"Ha, ha, ha," Kei muttered darkly. Zero knew what Kei did in order not to raise too much suspicion.

Zero let out a yelp when Kei pressed and pulled against a specific area of the wound.

"Gommen gommen, Zero. I my had must have slipped or something," Kei said with fake sympathy. Kei's hand ran over Zero's abdomen as she replaced the bandages.

"Your cuts are pretty much healed, but I still want you wearing the bandages, regardless." Kei's eyes lingered on Zero's well toned six pack for a while longer. Slim, muscular, but not at all over done. A vampire god-like body. Oh, yeah... things were looking nice for the young, vampiress hybrid.

Zero felt his temperature rise a little as Kei's hands slowly glided higher on his body. He shivered involuntarily as her delicate, warm hands ran, silkily, over his chest as the last of the bandage had been wrapped.

"That's all of it, Zero. I'd better get going."

"Matte..." he whispered. It was too low for a human to hear, but Kei heard him.

She kneeled back in front of him. "Nanio, Zero?"

That's where both vampires truly became aware of one another. Light lilac met dark violet. The young vampiress was pulled into the young vampire's trance. She didn't honestly realize when her hands went back onto his bare chest. Zero's hand went up to stroke her cheek. Kei's hands began to travel up to Zero's shoulders once more. He placed a piece of loose silver hair behind her ear. Zero began to close his eyes as Kei's hands cupped his face. She stroked his cheek with her thumb.

_You can't imagine how this feels, Kei,_ Zero thought as his eyes slowly opened. His lilac eyes held such a warmth that Kei knew was only reserved for her.

"Then I can only imagine how this... will feel..." she said as though she had read his thoughts. Kei slowly leaned onto Zero. Zero leaned into her, as well.

"Kei! You done curing Zero? We have to go!" Yuuki called from behind the door.

"Aa. I'll be right there, Yuuki," Kei answered. She turned to look at Zero once more, before she left. She went out the door without a word.

**--x--**

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Zero? You can't do this. This cannot happen, not with her or at all," Zero thought aloud. "It's impossible." Zero turned over, but he was too restless for sleep. He decided he would join Kei and Yuuki for that night's patrol.

**2:15 in the AM**

"I just realized, I left Zero's gun in his room." Kei turned to Yuuki.

"Good thing you have that katana of your's then," she replied.

"Yeah, since your going to need it... Egypt!"

Kei spun around and dodged Aidou's oncoming ice sword.

"How did you know... you fuckin' prick!" Kei roared as she sent Aidou back. She had to remember to keep her fury in check.

"Kiryu's sudden hair growth," said Akatsuki.

Kei dodged his flames. The jacket had been scorched a little in the process. Kei yanked it off along with the vest. _How did they catch me? They must have seen me loosen the tie I had in my hair to keep it short,_ thought Kei. Her hair for some odd reason grew out quickly. Since she didn't feel like cutting it again, she pulled up so it pulled off the appearance of Zero's.

"This is for the vice president!" Aidou brought down the sword.

_**CLANK**_

Ice crashed upon Artemis.

"Arigatou, Yuuki-san," said Kei.

"No problem." she smacked Aidou back. "You take Aidou, I'll deal with Kain."

"Right."

Aidou solidified the ice further. "This will be entertaining. You'll pay for what you have done to the Night Clan," Aidou said with a malicious smirk upon his lips.

"Not until you pay for what you did to me," Kei's voice poison.

"Fine." Aidou swung his sword.

Kei trapped it with her katana. Kei shot the blade out to slice Aidou's side, but he moved quickly enough for it to count as a miss. Aidou jumped and swung his ice sword at Kei's head; she ducked and gave Aidou a round house kick to the side of his face. Blood trickled down his face, but the wound heeled in mere seconds. Hanabasu froze her foot and punched her in the stomach, sending Kei on her back. She gasped for the air that had been stolen from her lungs.

Aidou Hanabasu stood above Kuro Kei, "And now you'll be purged of your sins." Kei tried to get up, but was crushed under his foot. "Now die!" The sword plunged down, but hit something metallic. Kei's katana deflected the ice sword and then Aidou was thrown back. Zero held the _Iris Blade_ in his hands.

"Zero, what are you--"

Zero pulled her up, staring into her dark violet eyes. "You didn't think you were going to start the fun without me, did you, Kei? A hunt isn't good without the pressure from your comrades."

Kei smirked as he pulled out his gun. "Nope, it wouldn't be."

Zero tossed her the _Iris Blade_. "How's Yuuki?"

They looked in the girls direction; Akatsuki was losing, badly. "She's fine," they both said in the same monotone voice and sweatdropped.

"Though you two won't be!" They both leaped back as Aidou brought down his sword in front of them. Kei and Zero stood right back up. But a lightening crash smacked both vampire hunters into Yuuki and all three crashed into one another.

The _Iris Blade_ was now in Aidou's hands. "And now, you'll die with your own blade, Egypt," Aidou said as Kei forcibly kneeled in front of him. The blade came down with a resonating clang. Ichijou Takuma stopped Aidou Hanabasu.

"Ichijou... doshde...?"

"Because I can't let you kill... the pureblood vampiress... I love."

Everyone looked directly at Kei to Takuma and back again.

"What are you talking about, Ichijou-senpai?" asked Yuuki. She, Zero, and Kei stood up.

"Kei isn't who she says she is. It's because she doesn't know--remember who she is," Takuma.

"Nani?" Kei said. She began to feel ill.

"You are not the daughter of Kuro Sesshomaru and Kagami, but rather... pureblood vampires Otinashi Jiro and Sakura-sama."

Kei was in absolute shock and paralyzed in fear. Zero couldn't breathe. Yuuki's went wide.

"You are... Otinashi Amarante, the last Otinashi pureblood," said Takuma.

* * *

**Kei was born into this world... a pureblood royal?! Now things are getting complicated and not just for Kei and the others within the walls of Cross Academy mind you. Catch my drift...?**

**Everyone: ...**

**Yuuki: now this is complicated**

**Kei: no shit**

**Zero: ...**

**Crimson: Zero?**

**Zero: -leaves-**

**Kei: damn it! Zero!**

**Inner Crimson: _review... please... sorry, peeps, but i'm still in initial shock here_**


	9. Immortal's Sigh, Mortal Lies

**okay next round. hope everyone had a rockin holiday(s) and awesome New Year's! well New Year (1/1/09) i had stomach flu, so it sucked. but i am okay now and here i am dedicated to you all so enough of my babbling and here's the next chapter of **_**Rebels and Blood Roses.**_

**p.s. it really sucks to type right now cuz i messed up my finger a while ago and everything feels really foreign to me so please excuse.**

**Yuuki: YAY!! we get to come back sooner :)**

**Kei: -twitch- -twitch- how can she always be that chipper?**

**Zero: I honestly wonder that as well, but, better not to ask when it comes to Yuuki**

**Inner Crimson: **_**I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with the male hybrid here.**_

**Crimson: That's a first, but guys! We're holding up the show!!**

**Yuuki, Kei, Zero: Gommenasai**

**Ichiru: Crimson doesn't own **_**Vampire Knight**_** otherwise... things would be a lot different 'round here :)**

**Yuuki, Zero, Kei: Ichiru?!**

**Ichiru: -confused face-**

**Crimson: aww!!! He did the adorable confused face that Zero does -faints-**

**All: -sweatdrop-**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Immortal Sigh, Mortal's Lies**

**Last Time: **_**'Kei was in absolute shock and paralyzed in fear. Zero couldn't breathe. Yuuki's eyes went wide. "You are... Otinashi Amarante, the last Otinashi pureblood," said Takuma...'**_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Kei stepped back at hearing the green-eyed aristocrat vampire. "No, it can't be true," she said, her dark violet eyes wide.

"When you were born, Jiro and Sakura-sama knew that you're birth was going to cause a whole uproar in the Night Clan, and many would want you dead. Aki Kaze wanted your blood and to become a hero in the eyes of all vampires for putting against the damned princess."

Kei let out a gasp... _**'You're a fool, Jiro!' exclaimed Kaze as he fled the foyer of the Otinashi household. 'You let that thing live and she'll be the end of the Night Clan!'**_

_**Jiro glared at the loathed man before him, as suddenly Kaze's shoulder bone broke out of its place and protruded through his skin. **_

_**Kaze roared in pain. 'You'll pay for this, Jiro, you'll pay!'**_

_**Sakura clutched her baby daughter close to her. 'Not over our piles of dust will you touch this child!' exclaimed the raven-haired vampiress. Her once cerulean blue and red violet now were crimson with fury. Sakura's fangs long and gleaming.**_

_**'So you say, Sakura-sama. So you say...!'**_

"Ka-san... tou-san..." Kei whispered.

Zero looked at the violet-eyed girl between himself and Yuuki. "Kei, it isn't true, is it?" he inquired of her.

"No. All I have ever known is my home with Sesshomaru and Kagami, my parents. My brother, Ronin and vampire hunting." Kei's ferocity was starting to build, slowly.

"Calm yourself, Egypt, you might lose it," Aidou mocked.

Kei sent him a death glare.

"You only know Sesshomaru-san and Kagami-san because Sakura-sama rewrote your whole life to keep you safe, and gave you the life that was no more no less that of an extraordinary huntress," said Takuma.

_**'Take Amarante and go, Sakura! Sesshomaru and Yagari will be waiting for you!' exclaimed Jiro. **_

_**Sakura nodded and began to run with the small child cradled in her arms. A calming wave washed over Amarante as the baby girl slipped into unconsciousness...**_

"Are you starting to remember?" Takuma asked.

Kei's eyes widened as images of a distant life flooded her.

"Vice president, I think you shouldn't continue," suggested Akatsuki.

"She has to know the truth, Akatsuki," Takuma explained.

"Then how did I become a vampire when that vampire bit me?!" Kei exclaimed, she had gone down to her knees; Yuuki knelt next to friend.

"You were... _reawakened_ after being "asleep" for all your life."

"Then how does she survive like a hybrid since then?" Yuuki's tern stern.

"It's one of the reasons Aki wanted you dead. You are vampire that can with stand the Sun with no problems, just like a human. Which would make you deadly during anytime of the 24 hours of life. You are as strong or even stronger than Kaname. Which is pretty impressive that you'll only be 16 in a short while, while he's 19," Takuma stated.

Kei clutched her head, she was going to lose it. "No... I'm not her," Kei said.

"You are. Though you don't look like your previous self. Your father changed your physical appearance so you wouldn't be found out. You are like your mother, Lady Sakura. You will grow to have long raven hair, but the only mistake is that you have two cerulean eyes, just like your father, whilst your mother had cerulean and violet."

"Shut up," her voice quivered as the pressure was coming upon her like tons and tons of bone crushing water pressure from the deep seas.

"You are the last descendant of the Otinashi."

"Yamete...!"

"You can't change what you are, Amarante." Takuma suddenly stopped, when he saw the vampiress in front of him.

She stood up to full height. Her fangs had grown out into two daggers. The wind blew her long, raven hair; her bangs swept over her cerulean eyes, which now were a sickening bloody scarlet.

Yuuki gaped at the sight of her friend. She was terrified and at the same time numb from all that was happening around her.

As Zero slowly watched huntress become the very thing he hated most, his insides churned, hotly, within him. The urge to pull the trigger of the _Bloody Rose _was so prominent that it would have been like stabbing himself in the heart if he didn't do the action at that moment. But, still looking at the monster in human form, he couldn't push away the idea of what she was. She was and wasn't a monster at the same time.

Aidou was paralyzed in fear as he watched the girl he was bent on destroying turning into a pureblood royal full of power and hatred.

"Takuma," Kei's voice low. She ran at him at a blinding speed and her fist collided in the jaw.

Takuma was sent back and smashed into one of the nearby walls with a sickening crack.

Kei merely looked at her _Iris Blade_ as soon it came into her grasp once more. "Now, you'll die along with the other two." Kei walked towards Ichijou, but was topped. Her crimson eyes relaxed their violent state. "Yuuki... Zero..."

"Please don't do this, Kei!" Yuuki pleaded.

"I can't... oblige to that request," Kei's tone quiet venom.

Before Kei could let out a gasp, Zero had her pinned to a nearby tree. "Kei, what you're doing and what you are isn't you. You aren't what you've become. If you let your fury consume what's left of you, you might as well just stand there in silence while I rip your heart with my bullet. You are a vampire, Kei, but, despite that, you still are you. Don't force my hand to do otherwise." His stone-hard lilac eyes met her now melting blue ones. Kei wasn't one to cry, but now she would allow herself that luxury. Thick streams of clear tears ran down her grief-ridden face.

Zero pulled her upon him. He held her tightly as she cried into his chest; his eyes kept staring forward at Ichijou, Aidou, and Kain, glaring at them as though they had just killed someone he knew and was close to his frigid heart. Neither of them were used to emotions like this.

_Zero, no._

Zero placed his hand on her raven hair. Kei only shut her eyes, she felt it sooth her greatly, and that's what she hated; the fact that it made her feel the way it did.

"This isn't right," Kei breathed. She jerked herself out of Zero's arms. "I'm now the very thing you hate and you swore to kill all that existed of it. A pureblood." Kei gritted her teeth as she spoke the last hated word. "I have to get out of here."

"No, Kei, you..." Yuuki's voice trailed off.

"I've become too emotionally attached to everything here. I can't risk hurting anyone... not again... especially you Zero, you how knows and understood what it meant to lose it all, twice." Kei turned and pushed her feet forward, heading for her dorm room; Zero caught her shoulder, though.

"Gommenasai, Zero..." Kei ran, tears never ending. Once she finally reached her room, she kicked the door open and it hit the wall with a resounding bang. She reached under her bed and pulled out the black book bag. She threw in her wallet and more of her necessary articles and trinkets. She began to rip off her clothes and pulled on a pair of black jeans, a close fitting navy t-shirt with white, gray, and red paint splatters on it, and a black leather jacket. She suddenly shuddered as the scent that once fed her came to her nose; it was the jacket Zero had give her the day she had ran. She was about to yank it off, but she decided to hold on to it.

"Let it be the last thing I have to remember my time here." Kei suddenly sensed another presence but soon relaxed when she recognized of whom or what it belonged to.

"Kei-- Kami-sama! What happened to you?!" Gichi gasped at the sight of his friend.

"I can't tell you now, Gichi. I have to leave," Kei explained without any emotion at all in her voice and in her azure eyes. She moved to the far-side of her room, to the window.

"Go? Go where?" Gichi was at the edge of panic and worry for his young friend.

"I don't know where, right now. But all I know is that I can no longer reside in this place anymore." Kei leaped down from her window, grabbed onto a branch and landed on the ground. She began to walk as though nothing had happened but I voice made her stop for a slight moment.

"Kei!" screeched out the small bat known as Gichi.

"Look after Yuuki-san and Zero for me," said under her breath to Gichi. Kei began to run towards the stables.

"And where do you suppose you are going, Egypt?" a malicious voice spoke out to the young vampiress.

Kei closed her eyes, simply, and smirked, "You may call me Egypt in the dishonor of Mother. You knew her well, Hanabasu, Akatsuki. You're both still were amazingly pissed at her for bringing down your father, so, in order to disgrace Kagami's only daughter, you sliced her, slashed her, wounded her, and all the while spat in her face the name Egypt. The weapon of Mother, the beautiful fear-advance-delance whip. Throwing that name as though it were an insult as you tore me to pieces at a young age. You angered me enough with your make-shift insult that I left an opening for you, Aidou Hanabasu," Aidou walked out into the clearing first, "ripped open my back. The scars left behind will forever serve me as a reminder of-" Kei's eyes went into a deathly blood red "-why you are to die!"

Aidou charged at Kei but as he neared her, she disappeared. He stood standing, his eyes searching everywhere.

"Who are you looking for," came the whisper of death upon his ear. He turned in order to deliver a blow to the damned girl. Kei moved a lot faster, caught his fist, and twisted his arm around so it would reach the small of his own back. Amarante smirked at the delicious sound that he let out of pain.

"Who's afraid of whom now?!" the same evil tone bled through her voice, not making her Kei, but Amarante. A pureblood out for blood, deranged and unstoppable. She managed to contort her body in such a manner that her leg slipped between her arm and her foot was on the weak point of his spine. With a sickening crunch she pushed and pulled and delivered a fierce jab to the spot.

Aidou was automatically sent to the ground; he went into an uncontrolled series of spasms. With one eye slightly open he moved his hand in Kei's direction in order to trap her in a frozen coffin for his cousin to finish her off later.

Kei automatically knew what he was planning she moved and in a second she lashed out her whip, encircled Aidou and brought him up to his feet. She smiled in a demented way as he struggled in vain to break free of the prison.

"Good luck getting loose from those binds, Hanabasu," Kei's voice silky and lethal as she walked up to him. "You were even to stupid to realize that as you ensnared you're own self more into my whip, that you caused yourself to bleed. Once I made contact with it you're blood turned into unbreakable steel. I guess that's one of my main powers of many now. My blood, my iron that flows through my veins, becomes the literal metal that shall crush diseases like you."

Kei's fangs began to grow out, "Anything else before you die?"

"Yamete!" Kei turned to see Kain Akatsuki come out. She raised a dark eyebrow as he went down on one knee before her. "Please, Amarante-sama, don't kill him. He acts out only in stupidity."

Aidou's red eyes widened, _I forgot, Kuro's really the pureblood heiress, Otinashi Amarante!"_

Amarante's piercing red eyes stared into Aidou's. "Fine then. I'll grant you your wish, Kain." She released Aidou from her steel hold.

Aidou was upon both knees, not looking at her but staring at the dirt. "Gommenasai, Amarante-sama." His respect, shining through for Kei's new found title.

The reborn pureblood simply ignored them, picked up her bag and headed into the stables. "Hey, White Lily." Kei approached her cautiously at first; she knew Lily abhorred the very essence of vampires. Except for Zero and her own self, of course. White Lily recognized one of her two friends, immediately, though Kei's appearance was much different than before.

"I'll take that as a sign that you aren't afraid of me, then." Kei stroked the white mare's head.

"Does she have a reason to?"

Kei whipped around. "Zero." He walked to where she could see him. "Zero, you can't be around me anymore. Not this way."

"Why?" He advanced towards her still.

"I'm a loathed monster, Kiryu."

"Self-loathed or just loathed." It wasn't a question, he was toying with her mind to see things out of her usual stubborn ways. His labors, however, did not bear any fruit.

"Don't you get it?! I'm the very thing that killed you!" She felt the same pain and anger roll within her and crash onto her. She decided not to take the argument any further than they already had. She pulled White Lily out of the stables without shooting Zero another glance and out towards the gates.

"So this is the end, Kuro?" Zero leaned against the gate; arms folded across his chest.

"Sayonara... Zero...." White Lily stormed off with the raven-haired vampiress on her back.

"Sayonara, Kei...." Zero walked back to the grounds. A feeling of unpredicted numbness upon him.

**--x--**

White Lily's hooves were the only sound could hear other than her erratic heart rate. Lily let out a whine feeling the emotion around her.

"I know, Lily. I'm a fool for doing this, but I can't stand to see them suffer because of the new turmoil that has come and might come." Kei faltered a little as tears began to trail down her face.

**--x--**

_**About two months later...**_

"Kaname-kun, any news on Amarante-san's whereabouts?"

"None, Headmaster. It's like she's completely disappeared off the planet," Kaname said.

After Kei's disappearance almost two months previously, Kaname found out that Takuma had told her the truth. Kaname was not angered by these news, but he knew that a great danger was upon all by leaving Kei alone in her unstable condition. Kaname had told the Headmaster all the events that had happened. Since that night, all vampires from the Night Class were in desperate search for her. Kaname refused for the Senate to take any part in this. Classes, of course, were canceled until the wayward girl was found. Much to the disdain of the Day Class girls (and Day Class President).

"There aren't any leads yet?"

"Not at all, Headmaster Cross."

Cross Kaien stood up and turned to look out the window. He removed his glasses as his golden eyes watched the outside world. _Amarante, was it yet your time to find out the truth on what you are and what you were not?_ The Headmaster sighed and turned to look at the young, pureblood, male vampire. "That'll be all then, Kaname-kun... arigatou."

Kaname nodded and left Cross's office. _Amarante-san, with no known relatives at all, it makes the task of finding you twice as difficult. There is nothing of yours to help us track you down either._ Kaname turned to glare out the window at the inky black night. It was a new moon. Symbolic of a new beginning to a whole new territory, one could say. In the place of the moon, was a single red star, that had situated itself there, as though declaring to the world that the moon would never return and that it would reign the dark heavens from now on. Kaname wonderedit could be the star that might just lead him to the reborn princess. He walked back to the Moon Dorm; the Night Class awaited the orders for that night's search for Kei.

As Kaname walked on, Yagari Toga made his way around the corner. He was, most likely, heading for the Headmaster's office. The two walked, silently, past each other. "If Kei isn't found in the next fortnight, she will be declared a rogue vampire and will be placed on the List," Toga said to no one specific, but no doubt it was meant for Kuran. Kaname stopped and merely glanced out of the corner of his red-brown eyes to look upon the closed door as it closed quietly. Yagari well knew of Kuro Kei's latest transformation, but he yet refused to acknowledge her as Otinashi Amarante or Amarante. Kaname continued on his path back to the Moon dorm; the windows cracked as he went past them.

**--x--**

"Kaname-sama." Ruka rose when she saw Kuran Kaname enter the room. Souen Ruka wasn't the only one in the foyer. Kain Akatsuki, Aidou Hanabasu, Toya Rima, Shiki Senrei, Seiren, along with the rest of the Night Class were there as well. Ichijou Takuma walked over to his friend.

"Anything yet, Takuma?" Kaname asked of him.

"None," Takuma replied.

"We've gone as far as the third county; which means Vera Academy would be the next to check in Towa District and the rest of the Towa for that matter. Now all of you dispatch."

"Hai, Kaname-sama," chorused the room.

"Takuma, matte."

"Hai, Kaname?"

"By any chance do you remember the three vampires present in the Towa District?"

"Hai. Seito Ronin, the aristocrat; Uchiwa Tora, the aristocrat and Midnight Gin, the pureblood vampiress."

"Otherwise known as Ichikurori-hime." Kaname's eyes hardened at Gin's name.

"Doshde?" Ichijou asked his friend.

Kaname shook his head. "We better get going if we want to make it to Vera on time." Kaname grabbed his black coat and strode out of the room.

No one bothered to where their uniform while going out to look for Amarante. Takuma sighed, pulled on his sweater on, and followed the 19-year-old vampire.

_Hopefully, Gin-sama or the others will have some idea to where Kei might be,_ thought Takuma

_**Welcome to Vera Academy**_

"Okay, Darien. I'm only going to show you this one last time-" Gin cleared her throat "-you solve the problem by squaring the equation 2.65 over 33.25 repeating 6 by 2 pi times 6.9 then dividing by C to the third power of the fraction -73 over 6.95 and then you just add all that to the answer of C over 25 times the square root of 95 rounded to the nearest tenth. You get it?"

Darien just stared at her. "Gin, I don't speak Russian just say it in plain Japanese please. I beg you."

Gin sighed. "Fine, we'll call it a day, for now."

"Midnight-san."

"In here Headmaster Night," Tora said, eyes still on her book, Futatsu no Kodou to Akai Tsumi. Okay, technically a manga. The Headmaster opened the door to see a dying Seito, an exhausted Midnight, and an intrigued Uchiwa.

"You have a visitor, Gin-_sama_." All three teenagers heads snapped up. Tora's hazel eyes grew wide. Darien ran a hand through his short bronze colored hair.

Gin only smirked. "I see they're _that_ kind then. Very well." Gin ran her midnight plum nails through her black and platinum hair. Her garnet eyes holding the same malicious smirk as her red rose lips.

**--x--**

As Gin approached the foyer, she peaked her head out from around the corner to see who was there. A grin graced her ivory complication when she saw who stood there. "Long time no see, Ichijou Takuma."

Ichijou turned to see Midnight Gin come from around the corner. "It has been a while, Gin-sama," he agreed.

"Oh, please, Taku-" she wrapped her arms around him "-you know I am not one for honorifics." He hugged her back and then let her go.

"You are higher than I am."

"And? Takuma, you're part of one of the oldest and most prestigious vampire family that the Night clan has to offer. I consider you in the league that I, the Hio, Otinashi, and the Kuran all belong to. Well, the late Hio and Otinashi clans anyway." Gin strode over to the couch and sat down.

"Almost, but not there yet, Gin," Takuma said with a smile.

"Now, what brings you here?"

"We came seeking your help, Gin-san."

The sound of the voice made Gin's blood run cold. "Well, speak of the devil-" Kaname walked out of the shadows "-and the devil shall appear." Her words whip lashed venomous ice. "What the fuck are you doing here, Kuran," she spat his name distastefully, "you know you're not welcome here as long as I reside here."

"Like I said. Cross Academy needs you help in tracking someone."

"Look, I'm sure a fucked up Level E is not that hard to find."

"It's not a Level E that we're after," said Takuma.

"Then what is it?" Gin flinched when she felt Kaname's hot breath on her neck.

"Otinashi... Amarante." Gin's garnet eyes widened as Kaname told her this information and pulled back. Gin was in shock for a good part of the time, but the silence only made her rage more evident.

"Who told her?" she tried to keep as calm as possible.

"Gommenasai, Gin-sama. I told her," Takuma said.

Gin let out an angered sigh. "Fine. Whatever. What we should be worried about is getting Kei back."

"How?" Kaname asked, but he well knew how, and Gin knew that he knew. It was a pureblood thing, go figure.

"Tora, Darien, now." In a matter of seconds both aristocrats were on either side of Gin.

"Hai, Gin-sama?" they asked in unison. When it came to normal company, they never called Gin with the '-sama' suffix, but just Gin. But when other vampires were present, it was inevitable.

"Tora, I need your sight," Gin explained.

"Sure. Who's the target?"

"The pureblood royal, Otinashi Amarante."

"Nani?!" both aristocrats exclaimed in shock.

"Just do it!"

Tora closed her eyes and tilted her head up towards the ceiling. She let out a faint gasp once a small period of time passed her hazel eyes opened and her fangs were out. She looked at the pureblood vampire and aristocrat vampire before her. "Ichijou-senpai, Kaname-sama, I can't see anything, I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Tora-san. Sometimes things are much too blurred to see them clearly, even for a vampire of your caliber," Kaname said.

"We best leave then, but before I need to speak with you, Gin."

Tora and Darien stood in front of the pureblood mistress, they could tell something was going to go wrong if those two were left along for too long. Takuma did the same and stood before Kaname.

"Stand down, all of you," both purebloods commanded. All three stood down as the weight of the command of a pureblood was upon them.

"Fine, Kuran. This better be worth my time, though." They both headed into the next room.

Kaname slid the doors close. "When are we going to end this childish behavior, Gin-san?" Kaname turned to face the 19-year-old vampiress.

"As long as you are still breathing... never." A cocky smile twisted her lips so her fangs were slightly revealing.

"There's no use in talking to you, is there?"

"And here I thought all of the worthless words between us were all dead, but looks like I was wrong." Gin laughed without humor as she said the words.

"Gin," he walked over to her in one long stride behind her. His arms wrapped around her left shoulder ending with Kaname's hand curling around her upper right arm. "What happened. What happened to the girl I once knew?"

Gin bit her lip, head, in order to keep the tears in and the anger out towards the pureblood prince that had her in an all to familiar embrace. "She was tired of being quiet and invisible," her tone was as hard as her garnet eyes.

"She was tired of always knowing she was never good enough and-" she ripped from Kaname's grip and faced him, fangs fully revealed, menacingly "-she was tired of taking all of your shit!" Gin noticed the plant in the corner she closed her eyes and then opened them, they were now a dulled garnet. With her telekinetic powers she grasped onto the planets and made them do her bidding. She sent her fist flying forward as though to punch Kaname, but instead the veins of the deadly ivy shot out instead. Kaname stopped them and made them burst in a cloud of what looked like green sparks. His red-brown eyes now a crimson glow.

"Not fast enough, Kuran," Gin's voice foreign sounding. The throng of thick veins ensnared Kaname's arms. He snapped the thick veins on his left arm as he would shatter a window with enough fury.

"Not good enough," Gin mocked Kaname as she opened her right fist and the razor thorns injected into Kaname's arm. He let out a small hiss. Gin ripped the veins back.

"I might be blind while using the strongest form of telekinesis but the my other scenes have been magnified ten fold... even more than a 3,000 year old pureblood." Gin could here as he moved to her right but pinpoint accuracy was his musky scent and the scent of his deep earthy scent that was his blood, the scent was maddening. She smirked evilly, she knew exactly where her target was now.

"Say you're prayers. They will be only two purebloods heirs left after this next shot."

As Gin spoke the veins of the deadly ivy ensnared and punctured into the 19-year-old vampires. Kaname was quickly running out of options as the deadly ivy sucked him dry of life force and life for that matter. He was rip away from being the late Kuran Kaname and there would be no one to revive him again.

Gin lounged her fist forward, but stood paralyzed. Seito Darien had caught her shadow and held it in place with his own. Darien's power caused his shadow to have a mind of its own, which allowed to capture, paralyze or destroy someone if any part of them was to touch it.

"Gin, this has gone too far," Darien said as he felt Gin release her grip on all the vegetation she had under her telekinetic power. Tora walked into the room and stood next to Seito. She released a temperate wave to swerve around Gin. Gin's eyes returned to their natural garnet glisten, as well as her color vision. Kaname was free of the bindings, his pureblood healing powers made it appear as though he had never been injured.

"Kaname, we better leave before anything else is provoked," Takuma said as he walked into the room.

"We better. I do apologize for what just happened Tora-san, Darien-san."

"We shouldn't let this "reunion" go on any longer," said Darien in a cold tone towards Kaname. Tora had Gin on the couch. Kaname didn't respond, but, simply, walked out the door.

"I am sorry for all this chaos, Tora, Gin, Darien," Takuma said.

"Don't worry, Ichijou-kun," Gin said. "It was my fault."

"Don't beat yourself up, Gin-senpai." She nodded and he left.

"That went well and Tora didn't know anything." Takuma sighed.

"Don't be quick to judge," said Kaname. "Tora's no fool. She only reveals the truths of her Sight with those that she deems worthy. She refused to tell me since she doesn't believe that I would be best candidate to know something of these proportions."

"So she'll only tell the one she believes will be better to retrieve Amarante-sama?" asked Ichijou.

"Hai."

"But the hunt for her will begin tomorrow night," Takuma said with great concern for his young vampiress.

"Don't worry. The person that the secret will be revealed to is closer than you can imagine." Kaname and Takuma slid into the black glossy limo and left.

**--x--**

"He's gone now, Gin," Tora said sitting down with Gin and Darien.

"Tor?"

"Yes, Gin?" she asked

"Why didn't you at least tell Takuma where Kei was? At least if Taku-chan knew, I would be able to sleep for once in two months."

All three vampires looked towards the window and saw someone getting off a motorcycle.

"Because the one that ought to know the true whereabouts of Otinashi Amarante-sama has finally arrived."

---

Kiryu Zero stepped through the dark wood doors into the polished foyer. The room was pitch black. He pulled out his _Bloody Rose_ gun when he heard the slightest of movements in the darkness. The young vampire hybrid suddenly heard it behind him; he turned and saw three pairs of glowing crimson eyes staring at him.

"You're finally come, Kiryu," said a light female voice.

"Because we've been waiting for you," said a deep male voice.

"It's time you knew what's been awaiting you for quite some time now," said a sinister seductive female voice.

Zero had his gun aimed and fully loaded as he took pinpoint aim of where the three monsters resided.

* * *

**What does three sinister vampires have in store for Zero?**

**Kei: must have been fun beating up, Kaname-teme**

**Inner Crimson: _i'll second that notion_**

**Zero: i just regret that that wasn't me that was kicking Kuran's ass**

**Crimson: true**

**Honeymusterd: -sips a mojito- hn**

**Yuki: ... Review... what is wrong with you people?!?!?!?!**


	10. The Return of the Night Clan

**okay, how should I put this without running the risk of getting killed by the public? -avoids giant tomatoe that came my way- I know I know. I suck at updating on time. here is the rundown and no excuses/lies**

**-final exams**

**-SOLs**

**-AP exam(s)**

**-loss of Internet**

**-transfer from dial-up to high speed (i love it!!)**

**-a **_**Black Cat **_**crossed my path so I had to go the long way (soooo Kakashi-sensei)**

**okay so the last one was a little... much. but truly gommenasai!!! i'll try to be better. and summer does mean no limitations. please please forgive me people, but since i haven't been updating doesn't mean that i didn't write down everything i have been doing, ne?**

**Honeymusterd: always with the excuses, huh?**

**Crimson: don't go there... i know where you live**

**Honeymusterd: so do i**

**Inner Crimson: **_**creepy**_

**Honeymusterd: not really considering i'm almost your all's next door neighboor**

**Yuuki: she does have you there**

**Inner Crimson: **_**damn i hate it when she's right**_

**Zero: welcome to my world**

**Yuuki: ignoring that. moving on... Crimson doesn't own **_**Vampire Knight**_

**Zero and Ichiru: thank God for that**

**Crimson: -squeals- TWINS!!!**

**Inner Crimson: **_**... alrighty then...**_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**The Return of the Night Clan**

**Last time: '**_**"You're finally come, Kiryu," said a light female voice. "Because we've been waiting for you," said a deep male voice. "It's time you knew what's been awaiting you for quite some time now," said a sinister seductive female voice. Zero had his gun aimed and fully loaded...'**_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"I would advise you to put down the gun, Kiryu Zero. Unless you aren't set on finding her before the hunt starts tomorrow night." Uchiwa Tora came into view first.

"Where is she?" Zero demanded through clenched teeth.

"Where is who, young one?" Gin's voice an incredibly sinister tease.

Zero took her in one arm and aimed the gun right at her heart. Darien and Tora already had grabbed Zero by the arms and Tora's long white nails pressed against his throat, ready to slice it open.

"Stand down, both of you," Gin said darkly to her companions. "Is this anyway to gain the trust of someone that is valuable to us?"

Both aristocrats pulled away from the vampire hunter. "Gommenasai, Gin-sama" -both turned to Zero- "Gommenasai, Zero-senpai." Tora and Darien retreated to the couch they had all been previously sitting on.

Zero turned his vision to the pureblood before him. He wasn't one to show any respect towards a vampire, especially a pureblood, but this time, would have to make one exception.

Gen raised a delicate eyebrow as she witnessed Kiryu go down on one knee and bow his silver head. "Ichikurori-hime, where is Kuro Kei?" Zero's voice low, but strong.

Gin gasped a little when she heard Zero use _that_title. The only time she was referred to that was when people compared her to the late Hio Shizuka, otherwise was known as Kuruizaki-hime. Gin put her hand under her black and platinum purple bangs and hid her face. "Please, rise Kiryu Zero" -he stood back up- "You truly are something to marvel at. You come in here as the lowest form of vampire possible, put your_ Bloody Rose _to my heart, and you used my cursed title to ask me a question." A smile crept on the 19-year-old pureblood's face. "You truly are the pride of both clans."

Zero looked at her surprised that she hadn't ripped at him liked a deranged beast.

"Cursed." The way Zero said it was no where near a question.

"Yes. It is when scumbag vampires of the Senate and the Society refer to me only as Ichikurori-hime when comparing me to the mad-blooming princess herself, but I will not go into the details for your sake and for mine."

"Harsh," Zero said in a flat tone of voice.

Gin smirked at him. "Indeed, but you have no idea. Now about, Amarante-san" -many back stiffened at the sound of the lost royal's name- "I don't know where she is, I'm unfortunate to say. But, there is one person that does know. Tora?" The silver-blonde vampiress stood and walked over to the pureblood and vampire hybrid. "Is he the one that needs to know and is worthy enough to see your gift?" Gin asked the hazel eyed aristocrat.

Everything went silent for a while. Tora looked into Zero's light lilac eyes. "Yes, he is. Come with me, Kiryu-senpai." Tora walked back over to the dark green sofa.

Since Zero didn't have much of a choice, he followed her.

Darien stood so Zero could take his place, next to Tora, on the sofa. Zero sat down and faced Tora, who was already facing him.

"All right, Kiryu-senpai, I just need you to close your eyes and relax, okay?" Zero nodded and closed his eyes. Tora let out a deep breathe and placed her hands on either side of his face.

Suddenly, a blinding light pulsed into Zero's mind. The atmosphere changed around him, he was no longer with Tora, Gin, Darien, or even Vera Academy for that matter.

_**Where am I?**_He was in a field where there was nothing but sakura and momo blossom trees; white, pink, and peach colored buds were everywhere. He walked around and felt a strong sense of déjà vu come to him as he continued on this strange, but familiar scene. Soon he slowly began to recognize the place, it was a tree grove near the road that lead to the gray-sanded beaches.

_**But why would Tora show me this?**_That was when he saw the reason why. Under a peach blossom tree stood Kuro Kei. Though by the way she looked he could easily call her Otinashi Amarante.

The gentle breeze blew her white yukata with soft golden yellow wisteria blooms around as she stood against the winds destined current. Amarante's long raven hair was loose around her shoulders and was being pushed in one direction by the wind and landed back in place as it reached half way down her back. Her bangs moved in a way that her azure eyes exposed; a small trickle of saltwater ran down her face. It vaguely reminded Zero of when he first saw Hio Shizuka, but he could never compare either vampire princess. It would have like trying to compare clear water to rich red wine.

Zero was about to call out to her by name when he felt like something pulled him by his hips. The blinding white flash cracked in his vision just like lightening, just like before...

---

Zero opened his eyes with a gasp and sucked in air heard, but for only a fleeting moment.

"You know what to do, Kiryu-kun," Gin said trading seats with Tora, "please bring her back. She is in grave danger otherwise."

Zero didn't make any sign that he acknowledged Gin's words. He stood and headed for the door; as stepped out, he turned to look at the three vampires. Tora looking very weak in the young male aristocrats arms.

Darien noticed Zero staring at Tora. "Her powers often weaken her depending how strong the vision was. All you both need is just a few drops of blood," Darien explained to the lilac eyed hybrid.

"Both?" Zero questioned.

"It weakens me... and... the one I let see... the true... nature... of things..." Tora explained through deep breaths.

"You will need to attain blood from a stronger vampire," Gin told Zero. "Since you're a former human, the weakening process is slower for you. Once you find Kei-chan... your nourishment will come from her."

Zero had a look of revulsion on his pale handsome face.

"Gommenasai, Kiryu-kun."

Zero shook his head. "No, Gin. There is no need for apologies at this point in time." He headed out the grand, deep, red-brown doors, headed for his Ducati, jump started it, and rode off to find Kei.

"Do you think he's the one to bring her back?" Daried asked Tora as she begin to fiddle with the collar of his shirt.

"Yes, Darien-kun." Her fangs pierced his neck, greedily.

Gin smirked as she watched Zero disappear from the horizon. "You are such a needy child, _Amarante_." Tora's gaze looked at Gin as did Darien's. "Well, hopefully this time you'll learn when you are beaten." The vampire trio's eyes all began to glow a devilish red.

**--x--**

Kei knelt on the ground and leaned back easily; she stared at the blossoms and the gentle breeze that made them dance around in a lazy aerial waltz. She leaned against one of her favoirte trees and sang quietly to herself.

_Kkum sok iu pi mul teul eun mal hae  
Ma ju chil seul pheum teul eul  
Yong seo leul ku ha lyeo hal  
A peun ne mo seup to nae sa to_

_Ji chin teutta mul eo jin nun pi  
Teo neum pa la ji anh a  
Pi littha ke sum a teun pyeong teun sok  
I never knew_

_Tol I kil su to eops eul kkum  
Pa lae jin na iu ki eok teul  
A pheum to mu tyeo jyeo peo lin kkae jin shim jang  
Tha peo lin na iu yeong hon eun eun han nat sin (g)eo jin jae duh mi  
Sang cheo ka teuk chan nun mul ha_

_So tell me, tell me the reason why  
How can you do this to me  
You break my heart and you make me cry_

_So tell me, tell me the reason why  
How can you do this to me  
You break my heart and you make me cry_

She paused halfway through the song as she felt White Lily nuzzle her face with her head.

"I'm glad you're here, Lily," the young vampire princess spoke. "I get lonely out here sometimes as I spend endless nights and days out here with no one to talk to." The raven haired vampiress stood, her yukata swaying in the wind. "Though it is very peaceful out here."

White Lily's ears perked up suddenly.

"Lily, what is it?" The pure white mare pawed at the ground.

Kei rose an eyebrow. "Hmm. Must have been nothing." Kei disregarded any thoughts she had had that someone or something had been there near them, previously. She headed back to the small cottage she had been staying in.

White Lily cried out in a frantic panic and fear. "Lily, what the-"

Something grabbed Kei tightly around the waist and pulled her behind a tree as an ear-shattering crack was heard. Kei cringed at the sound, but she felt something wrap around her already constricted waist. Kei opened her mouth to speak, but the sudden warmth she was consumed by, made her stop. "How did you know, Kiryu Zero?" Kei's voice empty of any emotion.

Zero moved them behind the cottage as more shots were being fired.

"I asked you a question, Zero," Kei said once more.

His mouth was close to her ear. "I don't obey purebloods," he said quietly.

"I'm not asking you as a... _pureblood_, but as me, Kuro Kei. The girl you spent your time with as both our injuries were healing and the girl that totally kicked your ass on more than one occasion and the girl that saved you and Yuuki from rampaging fangirls."

Zero smirked as he let her go.

Kei twisted around and sat in front of him. "Thank you, Zero. Now do you mind telling me what the hell's going on?"

"You really are Kuro Kei." Lightness evident in Zero's voice.

"Clearly, but seriously, Zero!"

"Calm down. The thing is since you ran, the Vampire Hunters Society caught wind from the Vampire Senate that you had been... "born" so to speak. For about two months, both races have been searching for you. Night classes have been canceled in order to find one of the two last last vampire princess."

"Please don't refer to me as that, Kiryu," Kei said to Zero at hearing the title 'Vampire Princess'.

_"Gommen, Kei. Demo..."_

"But?"

"Since the time period for finding you has expired, vampire hunters are looking for you, making sure your nothing but a pile of ashes and broken shards of glass once they're through."

"This would be a reason to panic now. So how did you know where to find me?" Kei inquired.

"Tora's got impressive visionary skills."

"Tora really must have trusted you an incredible amount. She never reveals her vision to just anyone or really anyone for that matter," Kei explained.

"That could explain why she didn't tell anyone where you were all this time before," Zero said.

"Most likely," Kei replied.

Another blast cracked through the sky.

"What the hell?!" Kei exclaimed.

"I'm guessing a hunter wants your ashes. If I go out and show that you're in my possession, then we'll leave without much of a fight," Zero told the pureblood in front of him.

"What do you mean by 'in my possession'?" Kei asked the lilac eyed hybrid before her.

"Well, it needs to look like a capture otherwise they'll kill you on the spot," Zero said in his usual tone of voice and constant scour upon his handsome pale face.

"So in simpler terms Kiryu, I have to subject myself to being your capti?"

"And here I thought you were slow, _Otinashi_."

Kei narrowed her cerulean blue eyes. "That's low, Zero. Kicking a girl when she's having a major identity crisis. And wipe that fucking smug look off your damn face!" Kei fumed.

"As you wish, _Amarante-sama_," he stood and gave a curt bow, similar to that of a Night Class member after they would acknowledge an order from Kuran Kaname.

"I will make sure to put up a struggle, Kiryu!" Kei stood up meeting him square in the eye.

"That's what I was hoping for." Zero jumped back and whipped out the _Bloody Rose_and shot off a bullet in Kei's direction. She quickly moved away from the hail of bullets that was coming after her. She dodged and hid behind one of the twisted cherry blossom trees, breathing irregulary.

"What, Kuro? Can't face me now that you're a pureblood vampire princess?" Zero shot off another round.

_Of course I can, Kiryu_, she thought wickedly._ Though, before I didn't have to worry about the bullets killing me! _Kei dodged out from behind the tree and sprinted over towards Zero.

"What the-"

Kei leaped over Zero and grabbed onto the branch of the tree behind him. Zero turned, took aim, and fired. A sudden clank sound was heard. Zero looked up to see Kei holding the _Iris Blade_ in her hands, that she had used to deflect the last bullet.

"I will fight you, Kiryu Zero, but not as a vampires. _No_... we shall fight the way we were trained to do so," Kei told the male hunter as she dropped down from the tree. "We will fight the honorable way. The way we were forever raised on."

Zero smirked. "In that case, our fight just got a lot more interesting."

Both vampire vampire hunters nodded once and engaged in battle once more. Zero pulled up his gun to shield himself from Kei's katana blade, they were both evenly matched.

"And here... Takuma said..." Zero gritted his teeth as he pushed with more force upward, "you were stronger than Kuran."

"I may or may not be, Zero." Kei shoved her blade down further but it wouldn't budge. Zero's eyes flickered down for a moment and had an arrogant look upon his face. Kei was puzzled in return of his expression. "You never did learn the position of an unbreakble stance, did you?"

"What are you" -her eyes widened- "oh, shit..."

Zero twisted around, while his gun still blocked the female vampire's katana and crushed his foot against the back of her left knee. Kei grunted in pain and fell on her back. Since she and Kiryu had been in a powerful grip, there legs had to maintain a stable position for them not to weaken. Kei always forgot to keep her weight in the center, rather to just keeping it to one side only.

_Her ultimate weakness,_ Zero thought.

Kei started to sit up, but Zero beat her to it; the silver haired vampire stood over her, while aiming his gun at her heart. "Otinashi Amarante, your days end here," Zero said in a cold low voice.

Kei turned her head to look the other way and sighed. "So it seems."

Zero made the motion to move to allow her to get up when all of the sudden...

_CRACK_

Kei closed her eyes at the ear-shattering sound of bullets coming from a vampire hunter's long sweeper's gun. She became aware of a slight pressure upon her body.

_You only get shot once in your life... I guess two ought to be my demise._She slowly opened her pinched, shut eyes. Her eyes widened. The pressure she felt wasn't that of a bullet, but that of Zero on her. As soon as the first bullet came down, Zero went down and shield the pureblood. The hail of bullets then after only made him pull her in tighter until it was over.

"Z-Zero!" she cried.

"Cease fire, NOW!"

"Zero!" she called his name once more. Almost if on cue, vampire hunters and Senate dogs alike appeared around them.

"What are the Senate dogs doing here?" One of the members of the Society exclaimed.

Kei automatically looked up, she'd know that voice anywhere. "Yagari, help."

The vampire hunter heard his name immediately. "Zero, Kei." His eyes fell on his student. "Kiryu."

"I think he's really hurt this time," Kei told Toga Yagari.

"Toga, we-"

"Silence! I am appalled of the fact that we are brothers and you shot one of our own!" Toga exclaimed at the other hunters. "And you of the Vampire Senate-"

"Yagari-senpai, I'll take care of them," the Otinashi heiress spoke. She was already on her knees, she held Zero, being careful of the cut a bullet had done to his arm.

"Amarante-sama!" All Senate members bowed in respect of the pureblood.

"Why are you all present here?" Amarante questioned. She knew she had to act the pureblood when it came to moments like this.

"Amarante-sama, we were told by Kaname-sama that something would be happening here, something involving you," said one of the members.

"How_ kind_of Kuran Kaname," Amarante replied with cold sarcasm.

"Please, Amarate-sama, we are here to take you to into the safety of Ichijou-sama," said a ginger-haired Senate vampire to her.

_So Ichiou, huh... shoulda guessed. He couldn't have the prince of the Kuran bloodline, so why not just go for the princess of the Otinashi bloodline._

"Why does the Senate interfere?! This girl is a wanted vampire. She is to be exterminated!" exclaimed a female hunter.

"Not unless someone else claims me for kill."

All looked down at the young vampiress on the ground holding the young vampire hybrid. "Kiryu Zero found me first, which, according to the Vampire Hunter Society's binding rules, which I am also bound to, 'the hunter that doth calls forth and entraps the wanted vampire, doth claims the creature for its own termination'," Kei told them all.

"She has a point." Kei looked down at Zero.

"Zero, I thought-"

"And you call yourself a hunter, Kei," Zero said.

"Mind letting me sit up?" Kei laughed lightly.

"Sure, why not? I was getting tired of laying here anyway."

"Amarante-sama! How can you allow yourself to be near such a low creature as a-"

"Enough! I will no longer tolerate such absurdities from either side of the races. My hunter and vampire members alike, you all leave now."

"What, but, Amarante-sama-"

"Do you dare challenge the authority of a pureblood, Senate dog?" Amarante's voice low and deadly.

"Gommenasai, Amarante-sama," all of the Senate chorused. They disappeared in small whisps.

"That's it for us as well, I suppose," Yagari said to Kei. "Now's the matter of Zero."

"Don't worry about him, Yagari-senpai. Our guardian is here with us," Kei told him and almost, if on cue, White Lily nudged Toga's back.

"You're going to ride this flea-bitten mule all the way back to Cross Academy?" Yagari said.

Zero and Kei went wide-eyed and scooted away.

"What's wrong with you two?" Yagari turned and was met face-to-face with Lily's blood lust raged eyes. Toga stepped back, but before he could do anything else, Lily reared up and sent the senior vampire hunter into one of the sakura blossom trees.

"Shishou," Zero called once he stood up, "daijoubou?"

A low 'Aa' was heard.

"C'mon, Zero, we'd better head back to the Academy."

Zero nodded, he went over to White Lily and patted her head in order to calm he down some.

Kei just looked at them both in wonder. _How amazing it is that two creatures so different still own the same beating heart, _Kei thought.

Zero turned to look at Kei, he raised an eyebrow at her. "Kei, you okay?"

Kei snapped out of it. "Eh? Uh-uh, hai, Zero-kun!" Kei smiled what most people would call a nervous Yuuki smile.

"Okay, let's get going then."

"Hai!" _Why did I call him, Zero-kun?_ She just merely shook it off and followed him over to where White Lily was. "I'll just get on Lily first and-"

"Kei."

"What?" she turned to Zero.

"Let me ride Lily."

"Zero, are you sure, I mean with that wound and-"

"It's already stopped bleeding. You underestimate me too much for your own good, Kei." He walked past the pureblood vampiress and mounted White Lily. "Well, are you coming, Amarate-sama?"He looked down at her.

She shook her head with a mischievous look on her face. "Your sarcasm is very well appreciated, Kiryu." She mounted Lily.

"What, you're not going to hold on?"

"I'm sure I'll be-" Zero pressed his heel to White Lily's sides and they were off "-fine!!" Kei's arms wrapped tightly around Zero's waist, holding on for dear life and Zero couldn't help but laugh in return.

"Urusai, baka!" Kei exlaimed, which, in turn, made Zero laugh all the more.

About half way through the road to Cross Academy, the silence was at last broken. "Ne, Zero," Kei said.

"Hmm?"

"How did you know to go to Gin, Darien, and Tora to find me?" Zero remained quiet and didn't answer for a while.

Kei only turned her head in embarrassment, a light flush on her face. _Why did I ask him that, it's not any of my business._

"I went because I knew that they had the key on finding you," Zero replied at long last.

The teenaged girl looked up only to see Zero smirking down at her. "You worry too much about little details, Kuro."

She, in turn, merely snorted. "Says you, Kiryu." Kei continued looking away after that. "Why would you go to so much trouble in find me?" Kei asked herself in a whispered tone under her breath.

"Because it was worth it."

The pureblood's cerulean eyes widened. Zero said nothing more as they continued there ride back to Cross Academy. Kei merely tightened her arms around Zero's waist and rested her cheek against the cool material of his leather hunter's jacket.

Kei might have not have realized it, but her ivory skin burned with raw red emotion. The gentle rocking of the ride soon put Kuro Kei to sleep. Zero could feel that the young vampiress had fallen asleep at last, her breathing was silent and fell and rose without any effort.

Lily whined uncomfortably which meant that Cross Academy was in perfect sight.

"You sense them don't you?" Zero asked her quietly. "Don't worry, Lily. Nothing is going to happen" -Zero felt Kei shift against his back- "I'll make sure of it." Zero's eyes automatically went to a bloody crimson, Tora's curse was being fulfilled upon him.

_**Night Class -- Cross Academy**_

"Why do you not want us looking out for Amarante-sama, Kaname-sama?"

Many questions like this and others were thrown at the 19-year-old pureblood vampire. "I've already given my reasons. The princess should return when she is ready to accept her position and-" Kaname cut off at mid sentence and turned his red-brown vision towards Cross Academy's gates.

Storming through the gates was the pure white mare, White Lily, and upon her back was prefect Kiryu Zero and the sleeping pureblood princess Otinashi Amarante. Murmurs and gasps were heard from the Night Class once they caught sight of the odd trio.

"Amarante... sama..." The name of the pureblood princess slipped through Aidou Hanabasu's and Kain Akatsuki's lips.

"It's not possible... but it is _her_," Ruka said quietly.

Zero surveyed the courtyard, every single member of the Night Class was out there. It was like they knew they were coming. Zero's burning crimson eyes glared at all of them, he really didn't have enough time to deal with them, White Lily, Kei, and his own thirst. Zero turned Lily into the Cross Academy stables. Once inside, Lily walked in and knelt down in order for Zero to collect the sleeping Kuro Kei.

"Arigatou, Lily," Zero said to the mare once he had Kei in his arms.

Lily stood up, pawed at the ground, and bowed her head, as if to say "you're welcome".

Zero walked out of the stables with Kei still slumbering peacefully as he headed for the Sun Dorm.

"Where do you think you're going, Kiryu?"

"Question is what the hell are you vampires doing?" Zero said coldly. He was slowly surrounded by Aidou Hanabasu, Kain Akatsuki, Souen Ruka, Touya Rima, and Shiki Senrei.

"I can't allow you to take Amarante-sama. For her to be left with a human like you is impermissible. Kaname-sama is the only one allowed to deal with Amarante-sama and no one else," Ruka said coldy fangs beared.

"Let's not get too dramatic Ruka and that goes for the rest of you. If Kaname-sama were to find out, he will reprimand you," Kain turned to Zero. "You just put her down and we'll take her to President Kuran, Kiryu."

Zero glared at Kain openly; he gripped Kain's shoulder, and flipped him. Akatsuki landed with a loud toom and a blank wide-eyed stare.

"How embarrassing," both Shiki and Rima said as they stared down at Kain.

"Shut up!" Kain exclaimed.

Zero turned to glare at the rest with a demonic look on his face.

Without much warning, the aristocrats that were present bowed at the waist line. Zero turned around, Kuran Kaname and Ichijou Takuma were behind him. Zero just stood there with the snoozing princess.

"What is going on here?" Kaname asked to the crowd before him and Takuma. Takuma had caught eye of Kei and looked back at Kaname, his heart racing since he didn't know what to expect what was to come.

"Kaname-sama," Aidou stepped forward, "Kiryu was-" He was cut off by a strong slap across the face.

"What Kiryu does is none of any your business. Now, all of you, back to the Moon Dorms, the Night Class is to form once more next nightfall," Kaname said to all of the vampires surrounding him.

_"Hai, Kaname-sama,"_ they all chorsed, bowed, and left without another word.

"Now, Kiryu" -Zero looked up at Kaname- "you are to take Amarante to my dorm room and leave her there," Kaname explained to the vampire hybrid.

"I'm not taking Kei anywhere, except where she belongs," Zero said to Kaname with ice in his tone. Both vampires stared at each other with hatred.

Takuma came between them. "Kaname, maybe you should let Kiryu-kun take Amarante back. I don't think it would be right to place her somewhere unknown to her." Takuma was trying, hard, to convince his friend.

Kaname, in turn, said nothing as he turned on his heel, heading towards the Moon Dorm. Takuma looked at Zero and Kei. "Very well, Takuma."

Takuma looked up at Kaname. The pureblood continued walking and Takuma followed behind him.

Zero watched them until both vampires were out of sight. He felt Kei shift in his arms, which meant she'd soon awake. He made his way to the Sun Dorm, but more specifically, her dorm room. Once outside the door, he simply twisted the doorknob, stepped through, and surveyed the room. Everything was the same, the only thing that had changed was that there were roses, in variety of colors everywhere. "You'd think this was a tomb and not a living place," Zero thought aloud. He walked over to Kei's bed and placed her down, gently. Zero brushed a piece of her hair away from her face, his fingers fluttered across her neck, accidentally in the process. His insides gave a jolt, the need for blood was growing dangerously. Without being aware of his own actions, Zero lowered his mouth down towards her neck. His fangs were just about to press into the soft flesh of the princess's neck, but he pulled away once he regained consciousness of his own mind.

_I can't, I-_ Zero's thoughts were cut off by a small touch he felt on his shoulder.

"Zero." He looked down and his light lilac eyes met Kei's azure blue ones. Her other hand slid to the back of his neck and pressed down on it, carefully. She pushed his face until she felt his ragged hot breath on her neck. "Please, Zero, I don't want it to hurt anymore. Let me help you make the pain subside, if only a little bit," Kei's voice was quiet. She knew the pain that he felt, she had lived the same pain for so many years and let it consume her so many times.

"Kei," Zero managed to whisper.

"Please, Zero." Kei's cheeks were red and her eyes closed.

Zero couldn't resist any longer; he opened his mouth, fangs out, and sunk them into Kei's warm neck, with a sharp pierce. His crimson eyes closed.

As his fangs sunk in deeper, Kei let out a small squeak of pain, she bit her lip in order not to make any other noise. She used the hand that had been on Zero's neck previously to stroke his silver hair and her other hand lightly squeezed his shoulder. _I'll help the pain go away, Zero, I promise..._

* * *

**The princess has returned, but what shall this mean for the future of Cross Academy and the world surrounding the school?**

**Kei: and that's how you make a come back**

**Yuuki: that was pretty good atually**

**Inner Crimson: _Man, that was some hott bed scene_**

**Crimson, Kei, Zero: GET YOU MIND OUT OF THE FUCKIN' GUTTER!!!**

**Ichiru: Please, review!**


End file.
